The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said today, Friday, that Beijing “rated” an offer from Washington to hold talks on customs duties imposed by US President Donald Trump by 145%, despite its warning the United States against resorting to “threat and extortion.”
Washington and Beijing played a game offish around customs definitions, as each country refuses to decline, or to be the first to call for negotiation to end a trade war that shook global markets and caused disturbances in supply chains.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce said that the United States had contacted China in an effort to hold talks on customs duties, and that the Beijing Bab is open to discussions, which means the possibility of calming the trade war.
This statement comes a day after the publication of an account on social media linked to official Chinese media means that Washington is seeking to start talks, and a week after Trump said that the discussions are already ongoing, which Beijing denied.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce statement stated that “the United States has recently initiated on several occasions to transfer information to China through concerned parties, expressing its hope to hold talks with it,” adding that Beijing “evaluates this matter.”
The statement confirmed China’s open position on the talks, but indicated that Beijing is determined to fight the battle if necessary.
The statement added that unilateral customs duties are still an obstacle and undermined confidence.
Black -up policy
“The attempt to exploit the talks will not succeed as an excuse to practice the policy of threat and extortion,” the statement also said.
The ministry stated that the United States should prepare to take action to correct “wrong” practices and cancel mono -sided fees, and said that Washington should appear “goodwill” in negotiations.
China has repeatedly denied its endeavor to negotiate with the United States on a solution to customs duties, while it seemed to bet on the Washington initiative to call for negotiation.
Trump’s decision to impose strict customs duties on Beijing at a very difficult time for China, which suffers from price contraction due to slow economic growth and a long -term real estate crisis.
The decision also comes at a time when the American economy witnessed a contraction of 0.3% in the first quarter of this year, in the first quarterly decline since 2022.
Beijing explicitly expressed its anger at the customs duties that it says is tantammus, and cannot stop the growth of the second largest economy in the world.
At a time when it takes advantage of its media machine to criticize customs duties, Reuters reported that China has placed a list of a list of products manufactured in the United States, which will exempt it from 125%anti -customs customs duties, including a group of medicines, fine chips and jet aircraft engines.
Reducing trade tensions
On the American side, officials, including Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent and White House’s economic advisor Kevin Haysit, expressed their hope to make progress on mitigating trade tensions.
“I am confident of the Chinese desire to reach an agreement. As I mentioned, this will be a multi -step process. First, we have to calm tension, then … we will start focusing on a broader trade agreement.”
Trump said on Wednesday that he believed that there is a “very good opportunity” in front of his administration to reach an agreement with China, hours after Chinese President Xi Jinping invited officials to take measures to cope with changes in the international ocean without expressly mentioning the United States.
