From farm goods to toys: US, China finalise $30 billion tariff deal

The United States and China have reached an agreement on tariffs for $30 billion worth of goods traded between the two countries, while also agreeing to establish a trade council for future economic discussions.Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)The new arrangement covers US exports, including agricultural products, wood and cosmetics, to China. Chinese goods such as small appliances, toys and decorations will also receive more favourable tariff treatment, according to the White House, as reported by Reuters.This came after Chinese President Xi Jinping held a three-day visit to the US and held bilateral meets with US President Donald Trump. The visit marked Xi’s first trip to Washington since 2015. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two countries agreed to carry forward the outcomes of their earlier discussions in Kuala Lumpur and establish a trade council to continue economic and trade talks.The latest agreement comes after the US and China agreed to extend their existing trade truce by two months. The extension gives the two countries additional time to work towards a broader trade agreement, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had said.Also Read: Trump rolls red carpet for Xi: What was achieved, what wasn't, and why India is watchingXi, Trump hold summit in WashingtonTrump and Xi met at the White House on Thursday for several hours before joining a state dinner attended by senior government officials and business leaders. Those present included Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, HT reported.Both leaders highlighted the importance of stability and cooperation in US-China relations. Xi called for greater “win-win cooperation” between the US and China and said competition should be kept within appropriate limits, as reported by HT.Also Read: Trump hails Xi meet as ‘very productive’; China President urges greater cooperation on AIUS, China agree to launch AI dialogueAlongside the trade discussions, the US and China agreed to establish a dialogue on artificial intelligence, with talks expected to cover both the opportunities presented by the technology and the risks associated with its development.The two countries are expected to hold another round of AI discussions in November. They will also establish a channel through which officials can communicate about incidents involving AI, according to statements from the White House and China’s Foreign Ministry, Reuters reported.The White House said Trump and Xi agreed during their meeting to use the term “super intelligence” instead of “artificial intelligence”. Beijing welcomed the terminology and called for greater exchanges between the two countries on the development of AI, its Foreign Ministry said.Also Read: In Xi-Trump summit pomp, pageantry has postponed pressureOther agreements during Xi’s visitTrade and AI were not the only areas covered during Xi’s visit. The US and China also agreed to cooperate on hosting major international meetings, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ meeting and the Group of 20 (G20) summit.Trump and Xi plan to attend meetings hosted by the other country, according to statements from Washington and Beijing.The two sides also decided that international waterways should not be subject to transit tolls imposed by individual countries or entities, according to the agreements reached during the visit.