Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will reportedly meet with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris next week to discuss preparations for President Donald Trump’s visit to China later this month. The talks signal that summit planning remains on track.
The Supreme Court last Friday ruled six-to-three against President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on global trade partners. The Trump administration complied with the decision and on Tuesday began imposing a new 10% global tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The change provides relief to China, which previously faced an IEEPA rate of 20% (10% reciprocal, 10% fentanyl). The ruling did not address the question of tariff refunds, which is likely to be handled by lower courts.
The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR) on Tuesday proposed a new rule that would require federal contractors to certify that their products do not contain certain covered semiconductor products linked to foreign adversaries starting in December 2027.
President Donald Trump will visit China the first week of April to meet with President Xi Jinping, Politico reported on Monday. With just a month and a half to go, the administration’s specific objectives for the trip remain unclear. Trump said last week that he had spoken with Xi about renewed commitments to purchase US energy and potentially agriculture, offering no additional information.
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had an “excellent” call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and looks forward to visiting China in April. The Treasury Department and the Office of the US Trade Representative are leading trade discussions in preparation for the visit.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Donald Trump doubled down on his “America First” trade stance, taking some jabs at China in the process. But his top trade negotiators offered a more optimistic tone when addressing the US-China trade relationship.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued two statutorily required proclamations responding to the findings of Section 232 investigations into critical minerals and semiconductors, which concluded in October and December, respectively. The limited scope of follow-up actions is further evidence that the administration is prioritizing its detente with China ahead of a potential presidential visit to the country in April.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Monday appointed Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) to succeed Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) as the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the CCP. Earlier that day, Krishnamoorthi announced he would step down as ranking member, likely to focus on his upcoming Senate campaign. Both Krishnamoorthi and Khanna have served on the select committee since its inception in 2023.
The House passed a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 on Wednesday, with the Senate set to consider the legislation early next week. The bill, which had been delayed by last-minute negotiations that covered China issues, is considered the only must-pass legislation for Congress before the end of the year. The White House on Monday confirmed that President Donald Trump will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.
The United States and China continue to uphold their truce. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that China is poised to keep “every part of the deal,” and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer further assured on Thursday that the United States is “prioritizing stability” in the bilateral relationship.
