Taipei, Taiwan – American president Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the prices recently imposed on Chinese products “will drop considerably”, but will not be zero, in the latest zigzag for Washington’s position on world trade.
The United States and China have a trade battle in Tit-For-Tat, which threatens to kill the world economy. The United States has imposed 145% prices on Chinese imports, which prompted China to retaliate with prices reaching 125% on American products. The United States has also imposed new prices on most other countries.
Trump told a press conference at the White House that “145% is very high” and could be lowered through negotiations in China-US.
“This will drop considerably. But it will not be zero – we are zero.
“But finally,” said Trump, “they have to conclude an agreement because otherwise they will not be able to deal with in the United States. We therefore want them to be involved, but they must – and other countries must make an agreement, and if they do not conclude an agreement, we will define the agreement.”
Trump’s remarks came after the comments on Treasury Secretary on Tuesday, Scott Bessent, who said that the high prices are not durable and that he expects a “de -escalation” in the trade war between the two biggest economies in the world.
“I say that China will be an SLOG in terms of negotiations,” said Bessent, according to a transcription examined by the association Press. “None of the parties think that the status quo is sustainable.”
Trump did not say if he also thought that the situation with China was not durable. He said the United States “went well” with China.
“We will live together very happily and ideally work together,” he said.
Tarumt shock therapy said Trump, aims to encourage a rebirth of American manufacturing, which has fallen aside from the economy and employment over several decades of free trade and production of production in countries at a lower cost.
Any change could take years because many American companies have made substantial investments in production abroad. In the United States, effective manufacturing depends on the components produced in other countries.
Higher prices could also increase costs for Americans and American companies while simultaneously reducing income for countries.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that more than 100 countries had approached the United States for commercial talks and 18 had submitted proposals, but China was not among them.
Leavitt said she had nothing to report on communications between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump said last week that Washington and Beijing were in talks and expressed the confidence that the two biggest economies in the world would have an agreement over the next three to four weeks. He refused to say if he had spoken to XI.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that it had maintained communication in terms of work with its American counterparts.
Edited by Stephen Wright.