Trump Says U.S. Won’t Drop Tariffs Ahead of China Talks

The Treasury secretary and trade representative plan to meet with Chinese officials this weekend to discuss trade and economic matters.

President Trump said Wednesday that he would not lower high tariffs on goods from China ahead of talks this weekend between U.S. and Chinese officials, despite requests from Beijing to do so.

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he would reduce tariffs on Chinese exports — which are now at a minimum of 145 percent — to initiate talks, Mr. Trump was succinct: “No.”

He also implied that the Chinese had been the ones to request trade talks, contradicting statements by China that the two sides were meeting at the request of the Americans. “I think they ought to go back and study their files,” the president said.

Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, and Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative, plan to meet with Chinese officials on Saturday and Sunday in Geneva to discuss trade and economic matters. The countries have been locked in a standoff. High tariffs have been hurting businesses in both countries, but neither government has wanted to look like it is conceding to the other by requesting a meeting.

Chinese officials say they have little clarity from the U.S. side about which policy changes could mollify Mr. Trump, and it is unclear whether the two countries will strike any kind of trade deal.

On Wednesday, Mr. Trump said China would need to “stop fentanyl from coming in,” and he blamed former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for not upholding an agreement that Mr. Trump signed with China during his first term.

Mr. Trump spoke from the Oval Office as he swore in David Perdue, the new ambassador to China. A former senator from Georgia, Mr. Perdue is also a former chief executive of Reebok and Dollar General, and the business community has viewed him as someone who could be a moderating force on the U.S.-China relationship.

“I picked him a long time ago but it just happened to come due on a pretty important date,” the president said.

More on Trump’s Tariffs

• U.S.-China Trade Talks: Beijing says it will meet with American officials to discuss trade, but warned Washington against using the engagement to ratchet up pressure on China.
• The New Normal: Trump put a 10 percent tariff in place on most U.S. imports. It no longer seems like such a big deal to many executives compared with the truly large tariffs that he has already imposed or threatened elsewhere.
• China Invests in Moroccan Factories: Morocco is the largest automotive manufacturing hub in Africa and an increasingly crucial conduit for Chinese companies looking to get around tariffs for exports headed to Europe.
• Trump Backs Off on Big Promises: After weeks of bragging about upcoming trade “deals” with foreign countries, Trump says the United States doesn’t need to worry about them after all.
• India-U.K. Trade Deal: Britain and India agreed to a trade deal, strengthening economic ties between two of the world’s largest economies amid Trump’s upheaval of the global trade system.
• China Cuts Interest Rates: The country's central bank cut interest rates and made it easier for banks to pump more money into the economy to limit the impact of the trade war with the United States.
• Mattel Plans to Raise Prices: The U.S. toy company and maker of Barbies said it would increase prices of some U.S. toys, citing levies on Chinese imports.