Trump says he expects a fair trade deal with China

President Donald Trump has expressed optimism about the United States reaching a fair trade deal with China, Africanews reported on April 24th.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on April 23rd: “We’re going to get along great with China.” He added: “In the end, I think what’s going to happen is we’re going to have great deals.”

Trump’s comments follow his statement the day before, when he said he would not “play hardball” with China and that his tariffs would come down “substantially.” However, he reaffirmed that the US would “set the tariffs” if China did not agree to a deal.

China pushed back against Trump’s tariff policies and his “America First” stance. Chinese UN Ambassador Fu Cong urged countries to choose multilateral cooperation over a return to “the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak.”

Fu’s remarks received wide support during an informal UN Security Council meeting, with the United States standing alone in opposition.

China recently increased tariffs on US goods to 125%, up from 84%, after the US raised levies on Chinese imports to 145%, The National reported on April 11th.

China’s Commerce Ministry confirmed it is filing a further legal case with the World Trade Organisation regarding Trump’s tariff war. A Chinese spokesperson said the US has made tariff increases into “a numbers game” without a “practical economic significance.”

But China is not the only country affected by the US tariff hikes – businesses in the Middle East are getting ready for higher costs.

According to Middle East Eye on April 3rd the rate of tariffs imposed on the region varies depending on the country’s trade surplus with the US, divided by its total goods exports to the US.

Syria and Iraq will be the most affected, receiving tariffs of 41% and 39%, respectively. Egypt, Morocco, Lebanon, Iran and Sudan got the lowest tariff rate of 10%.

Trump also told reporters he plans to have “a lot” of meetings. But he did not name any of the leaders.

Africanews, The National, Middle East Eye