Washington (AFP)
US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will sign a partial trade deal with China on Jan. 15 after months of clashing with punitive tariffs.
"I will sign our very large phase 1 trade agreement with China on January 15," said Trump, who had promised his constituents in 2016 that he would tackle Beijing's "unfair" trading practices.
The ceremony will take place in the presence of senior Chinese officials, said the Republican billionaire without further details.
The White House tenant, who is currently on vacation at his Mar-a-Lago, Florida club, said he will travel "to a later date" in Beijing where discussions for "phase 2 will begin. "of this agreement.
Since March 2018, Beijing and Washington have imposed reciprocal tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods, which is severely affecting the Chinese economy and slowing the global economy.
According to Washington, the agreement includes advances in the forced transfer of technology as well as better access to the Chinese market for companies in the financial sector. It also states that Beijing will purchase $ 200 billion in U.S. products over a two-year period from a benchmark in 2017.
In return for the Chinese commitments made in mid-December, the Trump administration has given up on imposing new tariffs. And under the terms of the agreement, it also agreed to halve those imposed on September 1 on 120 billion dollars of Chinese imports.
© 2019 AFP