The United States and China held the first meeting of their joint trade council just days before the planned meeting between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The talks took place on November 13 via videoconference, China’s Ministry of Commerce said.
The meeting covered tariffs, the “30 billion for 30 billion” framework for mutual tariff reductions, trade in agricultural products and other issues related to bilateral economic relations. The Chinese ministry described the meeting as “frank, in-depth and constructive.” However, no specific new decisions or final deadlines were announced after the meeting.
Each of the two countries is expected to reduce tariffs on imported goods worth around $30 billion from the other country. This brings the total scope of the agreed framework to approximately $60 billion.
According to information published by China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 90% of the goods included are to be exempted from the additional tariffs and receive most-favored-nation treatment after the relevant domestic procedures have been completed.
The US goods listed in the framework include agricultural products, personal hygiene products, medical devices and coal. Chinese goods include toys, household appliances, baby products, kitchen and sanitary products, and holiday gifts.
The bilateral trade council was agreed in May 2026, when Trump and Xi met in Beijing. The working rules, the tariff framework and the lists of goods were further specified during the eighth round of economic and trade consultations held from September 20 to 23 in New York and Washington.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in September that the two countries had recommended more favorable tariff treatment for goods worth $30 billion from each country. The actual implementation of the arrangements depends on the completion of domestic legal procedures in the United States and China.
The White House confirmed that Trump and Xi will meet on November 19 in Shenzhen as part of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, scheduled for November 18 and 19.
A trilateral meeting between the presidents of the United States, China and Russia is also planned for the first time. The White House confirmed that Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin intend to hold talks together during the forum. According to The Associated Press, this will be the first meeting of the leaders of the three countries in such a format.
Sources: apnews.com, aa.com.tr, news.bloomberglaw.com