U.S. President Donald Trump said that Chinese President Xi Jinping personally contacted him regarding trade tariffs. He made this statement in an interview with The Time, conducted on April 22 and published on April 25.
Trump expressed his firm belief in the need to maintain the current tariff policy. According to him, despite concerns in the bond market, he remained calm. He noted that he would consider it a “complete victory” if the U.S. keeps tariffs of up to 50% on imported goods for at least another year.
In the interview, he clarified that his administration is actively negotiating with the Chinese side to reach a trade agreement. Trump said he does not see Xi’s phone call as a sign of weakness. He also said he expects a full list of agreements to be announced within the next three to four weeks.
At the same time, Trump acknowledged that he would likely have to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods in the future.
Earlier, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the high tariffs had effectively stalled trade between the United States and China. Meanwhile, according to media reports, China has quietly lifted 125% tariffs on certain American-made semiconductors.
