Donald Trump's top trade chief, Jamieson Greer, plans to speak with his Chinese counterpart next week amid an escalating tariff war, as announced by the U.S. president. This dialogue between the world's largest economies will take place just days before the anticipated April 2 introduction of new U.S. tariffs targeting countries that impose taxes on American imports, which could include additional measures against China.
Trump did not specify his goals for the upcoming U.S.-China talks or whether they might lead to a rollback of tariffs on Chinese imports. Since taking office in January, he has enforced a 20% levy on all imports from China.
He reiterated his aim to stop the shipment of Chinese chemicals used to synthesize illegal fentanyl through Mexico, a goal that may require intensified law enforcement collaboration between the two nations. Trump also expressed a desire to reduce the U.S. trade deficit with China.
Additionally, he mentioned that he intends to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping, although he did not provide details on when that conversation would take place. China has not commented on the potential for a Trump-Xi meeting and has deemed Trump's trade actions as counterproductive and unwarranted, imposing limited retaliatory tariffs of 10% on imports of American oil, liquefied natural gas, and agricultural equipment. They have also highlighted their counter-narcotics efforts.
In response to a reporter's inquiry in the White House's Oval Office about whether a meeting involving his trade chief was being arranged, Trump affirmed, "Yes." He added, "I'll be speaking to President Xi. I have a great relationship with him. We're going to have a very good relationship, but we have a trillion-dollar deficit."
It remains unclear which Chinese official will participate in the discussions with Greer. His office has suggested imposing port fees of up to $1.5 million each time a Chinese ship docks in the U.S. as part of a trade probe into China's dominance in global shipbuilding and maritime logistics services. The Chinese embassy in Washington and the United States Trade Representative's office did not respond to requests for comment.