China's worsening African swine flu crisis could give the U.S. an edge over China as the two countries try to hammer out a trade agreement, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch said Tuesday.
Top U.S. officials to hold trade talks in China next week
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing for trade talks beginning on April 30, the White House said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who will lead the Beijing talks for China, will also travel to Washington for more discussions starting on May 8.
“The subjects of next week’s discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement,” the White House said.
Senior U.S. officials say they have reached agreement on enforcement and other key elements of the dispute, raising the possibility that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could sign a deal in late May.
But at least one big sticking point remains: what to do with all the tariffs that the two sides slapped on each other in the last year. China wants the duties to be lifted. The United States wants to leave at least some of these taxes on Chinese goods in place.
Failure to come to terms on this issue could doom the deal. One thing is certain: It’s in Trump’s hands. And as he has throughout the negotiations, the self-described “Tariff Man” is keeping the world guessing.
