The U.S. is debating whether to roll back tariffs deployed on around $112 billion of Chinese imports, according to the Financial Times, with the Wall Street Journal reporting that both countries are considering tariff reductions as they work finalizing Phase One of the trade deal.
The initial focus was on the U.S. not imposing tariffs on Chinese goods on December 15, but the reports now suggest that duties put in place by the U.S. on September 1 may also be in play.
Should the U.S. agree to do more than just not impose tariffs on December 15, the Financial Times said the U.S. would likely seek something in response from China, “including beefed up provisions on the protection of intellectual property for U.S. companies, greater certainty on the scale of Chinese purchases of U.S. farm products, and a signing ceremony for the agreement on American soil.”
There has been no confirmation of the tariff discussions from the Chinese side. "Trade consultations have made progress and are advancing in accordance to plan," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters in a briefing. Asked about the tariff situation, Geng said he could only speak in “principle” on the topic. “Adding tariffs is not the correct way to resolve trade issues,” he observed.
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