US Delegation Awaits ‘Guidance on the Next Steps’ of Chinese Trade Talks, Says USTR

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jeffrey Gerrish led a delegation that concluded three days of trade talks this week with Chinese officials in Beijing and awaits “guidance on the next steps,” said his office Wednesday. Talks were part of the Dec. 1 agreement between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in Buenos Aires to negotiate for 90 days on a comprehensive trade package that curbs China’s allegedly unfair practices on forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft of trade secrets, said the agency. The Buenos Aires agreement prompted the Trump administration to postpone to March 2 increasing to 25 percent tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports (see 1812030002). The increase would have taken effect Jan. 1. USTR said the officials discussed the need for any agreement to include “ongoing verification and effective enforcement.” The delegation conveyed to Chinese officials Trump’s “commitment to addressing our persistent trade deficit and to resolving structural issues in order to improve trade between our countries,” it said.