Trump warns China he wont lower 145% tariffs to boost trade talks

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Wednesday that he won’t lower tariffs topping 145% on Chinese goods to coax along trade talks — as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent prepares for a weekend sitdown with a delegation from Beijing.“China says in order to have substantive negotiations, you have to bring down the 145% tariffs.Are you open to pulling back your tariffs in order to get China to the negotiating table?” a journalist asked Trump in the Oval Office.“No,” Trump answered flatly — despite Bessent saying Tuesday he expects his talks in Switzerland with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to be focused on “de-escalation” of tit-for-tat levies.Although Trump says the US won’t unilaterally lower rates, optics have been important for both sides going into the talks — with each party saying the other initiated the discussion.Bessent signaled on Fox News Tuesday night that Washington would welcome a mutual reduction, saying: “This isn’t sustainable, as I said before, especially on the Chinese side — and, you know, 145%, 125% is the equivalent of an embargo.

We don’t want to decouple — what we want is fair trade.”Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Tuesday, however, that Beijing stands by its previous statements that it won’t negotiate unless Trump lowers the eye-watering rate.“There isn’t any change in China’s position,” he said.“This tariff war is started by the US.

If a negotiated solution is truly what the US.wants, it should stop threatening and exerting pressure, and seek dialogue with China on the basis of equality, respect and mutual benefit.”The sky-high duties on Chinese goods has caused a dramatic reduction in shipping — and fears among US retailers that shelves will soon be empty.The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — the nation’s busiest and third-busiest, respectively — said this week that they’ve seen a 44% drop in docked vessels for the week of May 4 compared to the same period last...