Trump Hints at Easing US-China Tariff Tension, TikTok Deal Delayed

President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that the United States and China might be nearing a cessation of escalating tariffs that have previously unsettled financial markets. He also suggested that an agreement concerning the future of the social media application TikTok may be postponed.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump stated regarding tariffs, “I don’t want them to escalate further because there’s a threshold where people will cease purchasing goods.”

“Therefore, I might opt not to increase them further, or even refrain from reaching that level. I might consider reducing them because you want consumers to continue buying, and beyond a certain point, they won’t,” he elaborated.

Trump’s remarks imply a decreased desire for significantly increased tariffs on various nations, particularly after markets reacted negatively to their initial implementation on April 2.

The president had previously imposed 10% tariffs on the majority of imported goods but postponed implementing higher rates pending ongoing discussions.

However, he subsequently raised rates on Chinese imports, which now stand at 145%, following retaliatory actions by Beijing. Last week, China declared it would “not engage” in a “tariff numbers game,” signaling that broad rate increases were unlikely.

Trump noted that China had been in communication since the imposition of tariffs and conveyed optimism about reaching an agreement.

While dialogue is ongoing, sources informed that substantial, high-level interactions necessary for a resolution have been largely absent.

When questioned by reporters, Trump consistently declined to specify the details of talks between the countries or whether they directly involved Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump has repeatedly extended a legal deadline for ByteDance, a China-based company, to divest its US assets of TikTok, a short video app used by 170 million Americans. On Thursday, he mentioned that a spin-off deal would likely be deferred until the trade matter is resolved.

“We have an agreement in place for TikTok, but it will be contingent on China, so we will delay the agreement until this issue is resolved,” Trump stated.