Tariff truce frays as U.S., China trade blame

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Friday, May 30th, 2025

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U.S.–China trade tensions flared again after former President Donald Trump accused Beijing of violating a recently negotiated tariff truce. China pushed back, urging the U.S. to stop its “discriminatory restrictions” and respect the Geneva agreement reached earlier this month.
In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed, “China has totally violated its agreement with us,” without citing specifics. Later, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said China failed to remove non-tariff barriers and continued to impose measures like blacklisting U.S. companies and restricting rare earth exports.
“While tariffs were lowered on both sides, China has been slow to roll back other restrictions,” Greer told CNBC, calling China’s compliance “completely unacceptable.”
The U.S. had cut tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while China reduced its own from 125% to 10% under the deal. Talks, however, appear to have stalled. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted progress had slowed, but expressed optimism about future discussions, potentially involving a call between Trump and President Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, China’s Washington embassy reiterated concerns over U.S. export controls, particularly in the semiconductor sector. The U.S. has recently halted sales of certain chip technologies and equipment to China and begun revoking visas of Chinese students.
Trump’s broader tariff policy also faces legal hurdles, as a court ruled he overstepped presidential authority. The White House has appealed, and a federal court has temporarily reinstated the duties.
Despite the rising tension, both sides say communication channels remain open.