Trump Says He Won’t Reduce Tariffs on China to Start Negotiations

The president said the United States is benefitting from the period of slowed trade, referencing the decades-long trade deficit with China.

Cargo containers and gantry cranes at Yantian Port in Shenzhen, China, on June 12, 2024. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump said on May 4 that he has no plans to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods in order to bring about negotiations, spurning a demand made by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

On May 2, the Chinese commerce minister insinuated that China would come to the table only after a cut in tariff rates by the United States. Kristin Welker, anchor of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” referenced those remarks in an interview with Trump that aired on May 4, asking whether he would meet those demands.