Trump Says He Likes ‘Idea of Waiting’ Until After Election for China Trade Deal

President Donald Trump has “no deadline” for striking a trade deal with China, he told reporters Tuesday during a meeting in London with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “I like the idea of waiting until after the election for the China deal.” The Chinese “want to make a deal now, and we’ll see whether or not the deal’s going to be right,” he said. “It’s got to be right.” A trade agreement is “dependent on one thing -- do I want to make it?” Trump said. “We’re doing very well with China right now. We can do even better with the flick of a pen.” China didn’t comment. Trump previously suggested Chinese negotiators would drag their feet in the trade talks in hopes of landing a more favorable deal under a possible Democratic administration. But the Chinese understand that “waiting out” Trump’s term “is not an option,” said Myron Brilliant, the top global relations point man at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in October (see 1910100029). Extending the U.S.-China trade war for another year past the 2020 election would be a “bad deal” for “every segment of the economy,” said David French, senior vice president-government relations at the National Retail Federation, virtually the only group to comment Tuesday on Trump's remarks. “We want and need to see a deal as soon as possible,” said French. Four rounds of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods at 15 percent and higher “continue to hurt U.S. businesses, workers and consumers and are a substantial drag on the U.S. economy,” he said.