President Donald Trump will host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House on Sept. 24, with trade duties listed as the chief topic of discussion.
Tariffs dominate the agenda
Last October’s truce halted the rapid escalation of duties, yet a lasting settlement has not been reached. Both capitals continue to apply sector-by-sector charges that keep the bilateral trade picture complex and fluid.
The average duty on Chinese imports fell to 22.8 % in July, still the highest among U.S. partners, according to the Penn Wharton Budget Model. Steel and aluminium bear the steepest rates at 40.5 %, a level that pressures manufacturers and downstream users alike.
China keeps a baseline levy of 10 % on U.S. goods, adding higher charges for items such as liquefied natural gas at 15 %. These figures illustrate the patchwork of obligations each side enforces, and the nation’s approach signals a willingness to adjust specific sectors while preserving overall leverage.
Trade volumes persist despite tensions
Customs data show total bilateral trade of $400.8 billion from January through August, a 5.4 % rise over the same period a year earlier. The flow of goods remains robust despite the duty regime, and analysts point to the underlying demand that continues to drive exchange.
Exports from China represent three-quarters of that total, creating a sizable surplus that has long drawn scrutiny from Washington. The imbalance mirrors similar concerns the EU raises with its own trade gap, highlighting a pattern that policymakers on both sides find difficult to ignore.
Dan Wang, a director on Eurasia Group’s China team, said tariffs, however, are the main issue on the agenda and that Xi wouldn’t go if there were no deliverables on tariffs or a trade truce.
Negotiations and broader concerns
Both ministries are drafting a reduction framework covering roughly $30 billion of products on each side, a pledge first made in May when Xi visited Trump in Beijing. The plan also calls for joint trade and investment councils that would meet regularly to monitor implementation.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet Chinese counterpart He Lifeng this weekend, a discussion expected to lay the groundwork for the White House summit.
