US not planning to unilaterally reduce tariffs on Chinese goods.
Washington wants to see Beijing reduce tariffs and remove trade barriers for the United States. This was stated by White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt.
"I want to be clear, there will be no unilateral reduction of tariffs for China. The president has made it clear that China needs to make a deal with the United States, and we are very optimistic that it will happen," she told Fox News.
“It is up to the president to decide what the tariffs are on China, but we certainly need to see a reduction in tariffs and tariff barriers on the part of China.“
She said Washington and Beijing would reach “a fair trade deal that ultimately puts American industry and workers first“.
The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that US officials were exploring the possibility of reducing tariffs on goods from China as a step to reduce tensions with Beijing. According to the publication, the tariffs could be reduced by 50-65%.
Trump plans to exempt automakers from some tariffs after intense lobbying by industry representatives in recent weeks, the Financial Times reported, citing its sources.
The newspaper writes that Trump intends to take this measure to avoid a sharp increase in the price of American cars, disruption of supply chains and job losses. The standard 25 percent tariffs imposed on imports of all foreign cars will remain in force, as well as 25 percent tariffs on spare parts, which will be imposed from May 3, the sources said.
Current negotiations with the auto industry are also aimed at simplifying the procedure for imposing tariffs, the sources said.
The White House declined to comment on the publication.