 "US President Donald Trump said he plans to visit China early next year and expects to finalise a trade deal with President Xi Jinping in South Korea this month. (Reuters)")
US President Donald Trump warned that China could face tariffs as high as 155 per cent unless President Xi Jinping agrees to a fair trade deal with Washington. The warning came during Trump’s bilateral meeting at the White House with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, on Monday.
Trump said Beijing had shown respect towards the US but stressed that his administration would no longer tolerate what he called unfair trade practices. “A lot of countries took advantage of the US, and they are not able to take advantage anymore,” he stated.
The Republican leader, who often uses tariffs as a diplomatic tool, added that he expected a fair trade deal with China soon. “I expect we will probably work out a very fair trade deal with President Xi of China. I think most of you will be there. It will be very exciting,” Trump said.
China imports no US soybeans in September
Trump’s remarks follow reports that China did not import a single shipment of US soybeans in September, the first time since November 2018 that shipments fell to zero. Instead, Chinese buyers increased purchases from South America, avoiding American supplies amid the continuing trade dispute.
Earlier, Trump had announced plans to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese goods, in addition to new export restrictions on “any and all critical software” starting November 1. These duties would be in addition to the existing 55 per cent tariffs already levied on Chinese imports.
He confirmed he would meet Xi in South Korea within weeks, expressing optimism for a breakthrough. “We have a very good relationship; we are going to be meeting in South Korea in a couple of weeks… I think when we finish our meetings, China and I will have a really fair and really great trade deal together,” Trump said, calling it a positive outcome for both nations and the wider world.
Prior to Trump’s warning, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had confirmed that Washington and Beijing would hold talks in Malaysia this week. Reports also suggested that Trump briefly considered cancelling his first face-to-face meeting with Xi since returning to the White House.