In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have agreed to put the brakes on punitive tariffs imposed by Trump last year. The fragile truce marks a temporary reprieve for businesses caught in the crossfire of the ongoing trade war between the two superpowers.
The issues that dominated discussions during their face-to-face talks in South Korea centered around China's tight grip on rare earth metals, which are essential for manufacturing critical components like smartphones and electric vehicles. Trump had previously threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports as retaliation against Xi's control over these vital materials. However, in a stunning reversal, Beijing agreed to hold off on implementing new measures β including those targeting NVIDIA, a leading US tech firm.
According to reports, China will pause the new tariffs for at least a year, while Trump is required to lower Chinese tariffs by 10%. The temporary truce appears to be a result of negotiations between the two leaders, with Trump reportedly discussing semiconductors during their talks. Notably, Beijing signaled its openness to allowing NVIDIA to sell AI chips in China, reversing an earlier decision that had prevented the company from doing business there.
However, other contentious issues remain unresolved, including the future of TikTok in the US. The Trump administration claims to be close to a deal that would see the US gain majority ownership of the Chinese-owned social media platform, but no agreement has been finalized.
				
			The issues that dominated discussions during their face-to-face talks in South Korea centered around China's tight grip on rare earth metals, which are essential for manufacturing critical components like smartphones and electric vehicles. Trump had previously threatened to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports as retaliation against Xi's control over these vital materials. However, in a stunning reversal, Beijing agreed to hold off on implementing new measures β including those targeting NVIDIA, a leading US tech firm.
According to reports, China will pause the new tariffs for at least a year, while Trump is required to lower Chinese tariffs by 10%. The temporary truce appears to be a result of negotiations between the two leaders, with Trump reportedly discussing semiconductors during their talks. Notably, Beijing signaled its openness to allowing NVIDIA to sell AI chips in China, reversing an earlier decision that had prevented the company from doing business there.
However, other contentious issues remain unresolved, including the future of TikTok in the US. The Trump administration claims to be close to a deal that would see the US gain majority ownership of the Chinese-owned social media platform, but no agreement has been finalized.