US Commerce Secretary Lutnick says China talks aimed at lowering trade tensions

Reuters

Sun, May 11, 2025, 8:04 AM 1 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick connected Sunday said bilateral talks with China present underway successful Geneva are intended to "de-escalate" tensions betwixt the 2 superpowers, arsenic helium predicted aggregate commercialized deals implicit the adjacent fewer months without naming circumstantial countries.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent "has made it wide 1 of his objectives is to de-escalate. You know, 145% and 125% are truly - those are benignant of tariffs wherever you are not trading with each other. So he's determination to spot if we tin reset the conversation," Lutnick said successful an interrogation connected "Fox News With Shannon Bream."

Lutnick was responding to a question astir Trump medication expectations for the talks. He was referring to China's 125% retaliatory tariffs and 145% U.S. tariffs imposed arsenic portion of U.S. President Donald Trump's thrust to usage commercialized argumentation to ignite much manufacturing successful the United States.

"For the adjacent 3 months this argumentation is going to spot commercialized woody aft commercialized deal," Lutnick said, mirroring remarks Trump has made repeatedly successful defending his tariffs. He did not sanction which countries the United States would cement deals with during that clip period.

Last week, Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a constricted bilateral commercialized deal.

Meanwhile, Lutnick dismissed reports of dock workers and truckers losing their jobs arsenic a effect of the tariffs.

"This is conscionable a China occupation close now," Lutnick said. "The remainder of the satellite is 10% (tariffs). So don't overdo it," Lutnick said.

"Prices are going to enactment unchangeable erstwhile this argumentation is done," Lutnick added.

(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Frank McGurty and Bill Berkrot)