The Wall Street Journal quoted people familiar with the matter on the 23rd as saying that in order to reduce trade tensions between China and the United States, the Trump administration is considering reducing tariffs of up to 245% on Chinese products.
The report pointed out that there are several options under consideration, but US President Trump has not yet made a final decision. On the 22nd, Trump said at the White House that tariffs on China will be "substantially reduced" but "will not be reduced to zero."
The Wall Street Journal, citing a senior White House official and people familiar with the matter, stated that tariffs on China are likely to be reduced to between 50% and 65%. The administration is also considering a tiered system, similar to the proposal put forward by the House China Committee late last year: a 35% tariff on goods deemed by the United States to pose no national security threat, and tariffs of at least 100% on goods deemed strategically important and relevant to U.S. interests, with the entire system to be implemented gradually over five years.
At a regular press conference on the 23rd, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun responded to Trump's repeated statements, stating, "We do not want a war, nor are we afraid of one. If the US truly wishes to resolve the issue through dialogue and negotiation, it should cease threats and blackmail and engage in dialogue with China on the basis of equality, respect, and mutual benefit." This was interpreted by the outside world as a statement of Beijing's willingness to negotiate. The Wall Street Journal, citing sources with ties to Chinese officials, noted that within Chinese policy circles, Trump's remarks on Tuesday were viewed as a sign of "conceding defeat."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant also addressed the U.S.-China tariff war on Tuesday, stating that high tariffs are unsustainable and that he expects the trade war between the world's two largest economies to "cool down." According to a transcript of his remarks obtained by the Associated Press, Bessant said: "I do believe that the negotiations between China and the United States will be a protracted battle, and both sides believe that the status quo is unsustainable."
On April 2nd, US President Trump announced the imposition of "reciprocal tariffs" on major trading partners, including a 54% tariff on Chinese products. Since then, China and the US have engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff war. On April 11th, China announced a 125% tariff increase on US products, in response to the 145% tariffs confirmed by the White House on the 10th. Subsequently, on April 15th, Eastern Time, the White House released a fact sheet on Section 232, noting that Chinese exports to the US could face tariffs as high as 245% due to China's retaliatory actions. The US stated that the ball is in China's court, and now is the time for China to reach an agreement with the US.
However, on April 16, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called on the United States to cease threats and blackmail and engage in dialogue with China on the basis of equality, respect, and reciprocity. He emphasized that tariff and trade wars have no winners, and that China does not want to fight one, but is certainly not afraid of one. On the same day, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce stated that China has noted that the cumulative tariffs on certain Chinese exports to the United States have reached 245%, fully exposing the irrational extent to which the United States has weaponized tariffs.
Trump began to soften his stance towards China on April 10, saying that he had a "good relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping and was optimistic about the two sides eventually reaching an agreement; on the 17th, he said, "I think we will reach a very good agreement with China."
At the White House press conference on the 22nd, Trump further stated the tax rate, "145% is very high," and pointed out that the tax rate could be lowered through negotiations between China and the United States.
Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), a Washington-based think tank, and former U.S. Deputy Trade Representative, previously told this station that she expects the U.S. and China to engage in negotiations in the coming weeks: "Just like during the first term of the Trump administration, I expect that in the coming weeks, both sides will eventually realize that sitting down for negotiations is in their common interest and may launch a new round of trade negotiations."
Derek Scissors, a senior fellow and economics and trade expert at the American Enterprise Institute, a Washington think tank, told this station after Trump announced a 90-day suspension of tariffs that China-US negotiations are likely to begin soon, but it is difficult to say whether the two sides can achieve results. "There is still a long way to go before the negotiations can succeed. The main opportunity to promote the start of negotiations may be that one side makes concessions, even if they are only symbolic concessions, or the United States reaches a preliminary agreement with Japan or other trading partners."
