Trump and Xi Reach Uneasy Trade Truce Amid Tariff Adjustments and Unresolved Issues
President Trump and Xi Jinping reached an uneasy trade truce, including tariff reductions for China and renewed soybean purchases, but major issues remain unaddressed and high duties persist for Chinese exporters.
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Overview
- President Trump and Xi Jinping met in South Korea, their first in six years, resulting in an uneasy truce and agreements to de-escalate trade tensions.
- Xi received a 10% reduction in 30% tariffs imposed by Trump on Chinese goods, with Trump also announcing a broader 10% reduction on other Chinese goods.
- China committed to resuming U.S. soybean purchases, agreeing to buy 25 million metric tons annually for three years, a key concession to undo trade war damage.
- Despite tariff reductions, Chinese exporters still face nearly 50% duties on their goods, with businesses passing 35% of these costs directly to consumers.
- Despite Trump praising "amazing" negotiations, major issues remain unaddressed, and concerns persist regarding the worsening U.S.-China relationship and potential American interest sacrifices.
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Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story by presenting President Trump's optimistic announcements about agreements with China, while consistently tempering them with caveats. They emphasize the provisional nature of the deals, the lack of official documentation, and the absence of public confirmation or concrete commitments from the Chinese side, suggesting the outcomes are less definitive than portrayed.
"President Trump called his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea Thursday "amazing," and said the two reached agreements on a number of items, including the resumption of U.S. soybean sales to China and a short-term deal for access to rare earth minerals."
CBS News"Nevertheless, the deal has injected a degree of stability, giving the world’s two largest economies — as well as the rest of the world — time and room to readjust."
Associated Press"Beijing agreed to push off planned export controls on some rare earths in exchange for a reduction in US tariffs."
Semafor"Thursday's agreement is still a breakthrough."
BBC News"Trump announced the U.S. would lower the 20% tariffs to 10% because China has committed to doing more to curb exports of ingredients for fentanyl."
NPR"Trump said that a deal could be signed 'pretty soon' and that there were 'not too many major stumbling blocks.'"
NBC News"Trump’s decision to skip APEC fits with his well-known disdain for the big, multi-nation forums that have been traditionally used to address huge global problems, and his relish of the kind of one-on-one diplomacy that can result in big deals, or at least interesting headlines."
Associated Press"Trump's trade war had set off tit-for-tat tariffs that shot past 100% on both sides, but they agreed to a truce in May - although tensions remained high."
BBC News"Overall, Trump said the meeting with Xi in South Korea was "amazing," and on a scale of 1 to 10 gave it a 12."
ABC News"Trump rated his meeting with Xi as a '12 out of 10,' highlighting the friendly nature of their discussions and the significant agreements reached."
NPR"Trump said he reached an agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping on soybean purchases, fentanyl precursors, and rare earth exports, paving the way for a finalized trade deal to be signed "pretty soon" that he said would last for at least a year and result in an immediate reduction in tariffs."
USA TODAY"Trump said he has made deals with China after meeting Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday, the final day of a trip to Asia that was an opportunity for the leaders of the world’s two largest economies to stabilize relations after months of turmoil over trade issues."
Associated PressArticles (45)
Center (12)
FAQ
President Trump agreed to reduce tariffs on selected Chinese goods by 10%, lowering the rate from 57% to 47% in some cases, and announced a broader 10% reduction on other Chinese imports, though no formal documents have been released. Despite these concessions, Chinese exporters will still face nearly 50% duties, and a significant portion of these costs (35%) is being passed directly to consumers. This reduction aims to ease trade tensions but is not expected to fully resolve underlying disputes.[1]
China has agreed to resume purchases of U.S. soybeans, committing to buy 25 million metric tons annually for three years. This is a key concession for U.S. farmers, who were heavily impacted by the trade war, and is seen as a direct attempt to undo previous trade war damage and provide relief to the U.S. agricultural sector.[1]
Despite tariff adjustments and agricultural agreements, several major issues remain unresolved, including national security concerns related to technology exports (such as chips and rare-earth minerals), ongoing concerns about Chinese ownership of platforms like TikTok, and broader questions about U.S. strategic leverage. Experts caution that this truce is temporary and that deeper structural disputes—particularly over technology, espionage, and market access—could destabilize the relationship further.
U.S. businesses and consumers have borne a significant portion of the tariff costs, with about 35% of Chinese import duties being passed directly to consumers. While the tariff reductions may ease some pressure, duties remain high (nearly 50%), and the long-term impact on pricing and supply chains will depend on further negotiations and the durability of the truce. No significant relief for everyday prices is expected in the near term due to the persistence of high tariffs.[1]
Experts are skeptical that the truce will lead to lasting stability. The agreements are seen as a temporary de-escalation rather than a comprehensive resolution, and underlying tensions over technology, security, and economic competition remain acute. Some analysts suggest that the U.S. risks losing leverage in future negotiations, while others argue that Beijing is using the calendar to its advantage, suggesting that further turbulence is likely before any sustained improvement in relations.[2]
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