Trump, Xi “have no plans” to talk amid tariff standoff, says U.S. commerce consultant Jamieson Greer
U.S. commerce consultant ambassador Jamieson Greer mentioned Sunday that President Trump and Chinese language President Xi Jinping “have no plans” to talk amid an escalating commerce warfare between the 2 international locations.
“Since April 2, we now have this on the leaders degree, and in some unspecified time in the future, as President Trump has identified, we count on that we’ll be capable of have a dialog with them,” Greer mentioned Sunday on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”
In what Mr. Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” on April 2, the president introduced that the U.S. would impose a minimal baseline of 10% tariffs on items imported from all international international locations, together with increased, “reciprocal” tariffs on nations that impose tariffs on U.S. exports. Then, shortly after the tariffs went into impact, Mr. Trump introduced a 90-day pause on most of his new tariffs after U.S. and world monetary markets plunged. On the similar time, the president mentioned he would improve the tariff fee on items imported from China to 125%. A 20% fentanyl tariff brings Mr. Trump’s common tariffs on China to a complete of 145%.
China mentioned Friday that it could increase tariffs on U.S. items from 84% to 125% in response, arguing in a press release that the U.S. imposition of the levies violates worldwide financial and commerce guidelines, whereas additionally calling the rising tariffs a “joke.”
Regardless of questions swirling about how the decrease the temperature between the 2 international locations, Greer insisted that the president is working to reshore American manufacturing and commerce as a part of a broader world challenge. Greer mentioned “the one cause we’re actually on this place proper now’s as a result of China selected to retaliate.”
“So many different international locations affirmatively mentioned they didn’t need to retaliate, ‘we need to negotiate with the Individuals,'” Greer mentioned. “And the Chinese language made a special choice … It was a Chinese language choice. They’ve company right here.”
The commerce consultant mentioned when requested whether or not the U.S. is ready for the chance that China may promote belongings it holds in the US that the difficulty is “we have turn into so depending on China” and have not had honest market entry for many years.
“We see China taking motion, implementing their coverage to attempt to be much less tied up with us as properly. So it is not stunning to see them making these sorts of strikes,” Greer mentioned, including that “we clearly need to be ready on our half to have a resilient economic system.”
When requested what occurs after the 90-day pause, and whether or not the interval given sufficient time to barter with 70 international locations, Greer mentioned conversations have been underway since earlier than the tariffs have been introduced, “as a result of everybody knew tariffs have been coming.”
“The truth is, we’re working across the clock, day and evening, sharing paper, receiving provides and giving suggestions to those international locations with respect to how they’ll higher obtain reciprocal commerce with the US,” Greer mentioned.
