Trade talks between the U.S. and China are expected to continue on into Friday despite the Trump administration’s plans to hike tariffs on virtually all Chinese goods to 25% at midnight Thursday. The extension indicates the sides still think they can reach an agreement, even after missing Thursday’s deadline.
“I just called someone who is close to the negotiations in Washington and was told the two sides just finished Thursday’s talks. They will have another negotiation Friday morning US time. In other words, negotiations will extend beyond the time when the US starts to raise tariffs,” Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of Chinese state-run newspaper the Global Times, tweeted in English late Thursday.
Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, Beijing’s top negotiator, arrived in Washington, D.C., Thursday afternoon just hours ahead of the deadline.
The White House has accused China of attempting to renege on items previously agreed to in the trade talks. The administration has said it will raise existing tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods to 25% across the board, up from 10% in most cases and adds 25% tariffs to an additional $325 billion in additional goods, if China doesn’t re-affirm the earlier pledges.
President Trump said earlier Thursday he was hopeful that a dead could be reached, but that hiking tariffs was an “excellent” alternative as well.
