‘He’s panicking’: Trump’s tariff comments put China in control, analysts say | South China Morning Post

> Beijing can afford to hold out for a better trade deal as the pressure on the US side ramps up, analysts say

‘He’s panicking’: Trump’s tariff comments put China in control, analysts say

Frank Chenin Shanghai, Ji Siqiin Beijing and Sylvia Main 

Hong Kong

Published: 11:12am, 23 Apr 2025 Updated: 4:51pm, 23 Apr 2025

The White House’s latest signs of easing its position on tariffs against China do not indicate a notable advancement in US-China trade talks, but may present Beijing an opportunity to get a better deal, economists said.

US President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance on the US-China trade war on Tuesday, telling an Oval Office press conference that tariffs on Chinese goods “will not be as high as 145 per cent” and that “it’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”.

His latest remarks follow claims he made last week that “top officials” from Beijing were talking with their Washington counterparts, and that a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies would soon be agr

The White House’s latest signs of easing its position on tariffs against China do not indicate a notable advancement in US-China trade talks, but may present Beijing an opportunity to get a better deal, economists said.

US President Donald Trump appeared to soften his stance on the US-China trade war on Tuesday, telling an Oval Office press conference that tariffs on Chinese goods “will not be as high as 145 per cent” and that “it’ll come down substantially, but won’t be zero”.

His latest remarks follow claims he made last week that “top officials” from Beijing were talking with their Washington counterparts, and that a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies would soon be agreed.

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