Washington.– The U.S. President, Donald Trump, categorically denied this Wednesday that he will lower the 145% tariffs he applies to China to facilitate Beijing’s negotiation of a trade agreement after both parties have confirmed that they will meet this weekend in Switzerland to begin a dialogue.
When asked if he is open to reducing tariffs so that the Asian giant “sits at the negotiating table,” Trump responded with a firm “no” during a ceremony open to the media in the Oval Office of the White House for the swearing-in of the new U.S. ambassador to China, David Perdue.
You may be interested in: Trump: “Tariffs are making us rich”
“They have to prevent fentanyl from entering (the U.S.). That would be a very important condition,” Trump explained about the demands with which Washington will arrive in Geneva to achieve a future agreement.
At the beginning of his second term, the New Yorker already imposed a 20% customs tax for what he considers insufficient efforts by Beijing to curb the trafficking of fentanyl, the consumption of which has claimed hundreds of thousands of American lives.
More Read
Trump, in turn, denied Beijing’s assertion that the dialogue this weekend in Geneva will be held “at the request of the American side.”
“Have they said that we started it (the approach)? Well, I think they should back down and take a look at their files,” he stated.
Since Trump reactivated the trade war in April, especially with China, Beijing has in turn responded with 125% tariffs on American goods and services.
More Read
In turn, the U.S. president ruled out that he will announce new tariff exemptions for baby products in principle, although he said he would consider the measure.
“I want it to be simple. I don’t want there to be so many exceptions and for no one to know what’s going on. We have to simplify it a lot, but I’ll still review it,” he explained.
