The United States and China have agreed to reciprocal tariff reductions covering $30 billion in trade following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington and talks with US President Donald Trump. China’s foreign ministry said the leaders endorsed the results of negotiations by their economic and trade teams and instructed officials to implement the agreements.
The package includes a Trade Council and continued use of the Kuala Lumpur consultation arrangements. The White House, as cited by Fox News, said the affected trade includes US exports of agricultural products, fish and seafood, untreated wood, cosmetics and medical goods, as well as Chinese exports of small household appliances, toys, holiday decorations and child car seats.
The announcement follows a sharp escalation and partial rollback of tariffs. Trump imposed a 10% tariff on Chinese goods in February 2025; China retaliated against US coal, liquefied natural gas, crude oil and cars. By April 2025, US tariffs on Chinese goods had reached 145%, while Beijing’s duties on US goods rose to as much as 125%. A 90-day truce agreed in Geneva in May 2025 brought the rates down to 30% for US tariffs and 10% for Chinese tariffs. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on September 23 that the current trade agreement had been extended through January 10, 2027.
The two governments also agreed to continue dialogue on artificial intelligence and its risks and benefits, and to establish a communication channel for AI-related incidents. They pledged mutual support for informal leaders’ meetings at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and the G20, and said Iran should meet its nuclear obligations. The leaders also agreed that no state should charge fees for passage through international waterways.
Xi arrived in Washington on September 23, and the White House talks took place on September 24. It was his first state visit to the United States in 11 years; his previous one was in September 2015. The tariff agreement is one part of a broader agenda that also includes technology, regional summits and maritime access.