The US has reportedly shown interest in discussing tariffs with China. This was mentioned in a post by Yuyuantantian, a Weibo account linked to China Central Television (CCTV), a state-run media outlet, a Bloomberg report said. According to sources quoted in the post, the US is actively looking to start tariff talks.
But China is said to be holding back, insisting that the Trump administration must take “meaningful actions” first. The post does not explain what those actions should be. Right now, the US has set a 145% tariff on Chinese goods, while China has a 125% tariff on US products.
The Yuyuantantian post came after US President Trump defended the high tariffs on Chinese exports. He said China deserved them and hinted that Beijing could find ways to reduce the impact on American consumers.
During an interview with ABC News on April 29, Donald Trump said it’s uncertain whether China will absorb the tariffs, but he believes they likely will. He claimed that China used to make around $1 trillion annually by taking advantage of the US, and added that many other countries were doing the same. However, he said that this is no longer the case.
Trump has given mixed signals on China tariffs recently. In a news conference on April 22, he suggested that tariffs on Chinese goods will be significantly reduced, though not eliminated, amid ongoing market volatility. “145% is very high, and it won’t be that high,” Trump told reporters during a Q&A in the Oval Office. “It won’t be anywhere near that high. It’ll come down substantially. But it won’t be zero.”