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The United States has indicated that ongoing trade tensions with China could ease once Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping speak directly, with officials hinting the call may take place in the coming days.
According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, communication between the two leaders might be the key to resolving a growing impasse in trade talks.
“I’m confident that when President Trump and Party Chairman Xi have a call, this will be ironed out,” Bessent told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.
Bessent’s remarks follow President Trump’s accusation on Friday that Beijing had breached the terms of a 90-day truce agreed upon last month in Geneva, where both countries had pledged to temporarily lower their mutual tariffs, which had soared to extreme levels.
Recent frustrations in Washington have been fuelled by China’s delays in approving export licenses for rare earth elements, critical for the production of electronics and vehicles.
Bessent confirmed that rare earths were among the products being withheld, suggesting the holdup might be either an internal glitch in China or a deliberate move.
He added that clarity was expected once the two leaders spoke.
Although there was no set date for the call, Bessent expressed optimism that it would happen soon. Kevin Hassett, head of the White House’s National Economic Council, suggested it could occur “this week,” though he had no confirmed schedule.
Under the current pause in tariffs, Washington reduced additional duties on Chinese goods from 145% to 30%, while Beijing scaled back its own from 125% to 10%.
Yet the delay in fulfilling parts of the deal has drawn criticism from US officials, who claim China is “slow-rolling” the agreement.
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Fox News Sunday that the administration was taking measures to remind China of the consequences of not honouring the deal.
“Our president understands what to do. He’s going to go work it out,” he said.
Lutnick also expressed confidence that a legal challenge against Trump’s tariff policy—currently on hold pending appeal—would ultimately end in the president’s favour. “Tariffs are not going away,” he added.
Meanwhile, separate from the China negotiations, Trump announced plans to double tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50% from June 4. The European Union has warned of retaliation.
Hassett defended the decision, citing national security concerns and the impact of cheap foreign steel on domestic production.
“If we don’t have steel, then the US isn’t ready,” he said. “We have to have a steel industry that’s ready for American defence.”
