Last week, the White House announced a 100% Section 232 tariff on large drones and critical components, citing their dual-use applications. The duties are set to take effect on September 3.
Speaking at the Hudson Institute on Tuesday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer outlined some of the key anticipated deliverables for President Donald Trump’s visit to China next month. Greer reaffirmed that the United States would push for a board of trade with China to identify non-sensitive sectors for bilateral trade.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will not meet his Chinese counterparts again ahead of President Donald Trump’s mid-May state visit to China. In an interview on Tuesday, Greer touted progress on agenda-setting for the trip during bilateral talks in Paris early last month, adding that communication was ongoing.
Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong remain the most mentioned locations for government engagement, unchanged from the past two years and underscoring the sustained economic vitality of the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area. Shanghai leads in overall mentions, but Jiangsu surpassed the megacity when accounting for preference strength.
China’s 15th five-year plan (FYP) suggests that industrial policy is no longer just one policy area among many but rather an organizing logic for the whole economy. Beijing is increasingly aligning domestic substitution, enterprise innovation, anti-involution, and infrastructure development around the goal of building a more self-reliant industrial system.
The White House on Wednesday announced that President Donald Trump will visit Beijing from May 14 to 15. The trip was originally scheduled for late this month. According to the announcement, President Xi Jinping will make a “reciprocal visit” to the United States later this year. China has not made its own announcement.
USCBC interviews Zichen Wang, founder of Pekingnology and deputy secretary-general at the Center for China and Globalization. He gives his read on the Trump summit, trade leverage, and where the relationship is heading.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that his state visit to China, originally scheduled for the end of March, would be pushed back by “five to six weeks.” China has not confirmed a new timeframe and said it is in communication with the United States on the visit. While the delay means there’s more time to develop deliverables, it also injects uncertainty in the bilateral relationship.
US goods trade with China fell nearly 30% last year to $414.7 billion, the lowest level since 2009. The sharp decline was driven primarily by a collapse in shipments following the imposition of triple-digit tariffs last April, compounded by US and Chinese supply chain de-risking policies and China’s ongoing efforts to expand export markets in the Global South.
When President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping agreed to a trade truce in Busan late last year, a key ask was for China to improve the flow of rare earth elements (REEs) and derivative product exports to US companies. The topic will almost certainly come up again as the leaders prepare for Trump’s now-delayed state visit to Beijing. Any friction or progress on the REE issue, including movement on China’s now-suspended extraterritorial export controls due to be reimposed this November, will be an important indicator of bilateral tension or stability.
USCBC interviews Bill Russo, Shanghai-based founder and CEO of Automobility Limited, on China’s auto market, including prospects for a domestic “shakeout,” competitive advantages of Chinese automakers, and implications for Western competitors.
