US, China not in talks on tariffs — trade negotiator

Washington and Beijing have not yet started official talks on tariffs, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said, Report informs.

"Not yet," he told Fox News, adding that Washington wants to have "fair trade with China."

"I did speak with my counterpart before April 2 for a long time, over an hour. It was a virtual meeting, but I thought it was constructive," he said, adding that Washington’s tariffs are "not a plan to encircle China, it’s a plan to fix the American economy."

On April 2, US President Donald Trump announced the introduction of tariffs on products from 185 countries and territories. Russia is not present on the list. Baseline tariffs of 10% came into force on April 5, while individualized ones became effective on April 9. On April 9, Trump announced suspension of additional import tariffs imposed on a reciprocal basis for a number of countries and territories for 90 days. The White House explained that the pause was related to trade negotiations, adding that during this period, a universal tariff of 10% will be in effect.

Earlier, Trump expressed confidence that the United States and China can sign a trade agreement.