US and China agree to cut tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods, from coal to toys

Hector Ramal/AFP/Getty Images

The United States and China have agreed to slash tariffs on $60 billion worth of goods, deepening efforts to stabilize a frequently testy relationship.

The tariff relief extends to an array of products, from US coal and agricultural products to made-in-China toys, car seats and holiday decorations.

The announcement from the White House late Sunday followed a highly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington last week.

The White House said that under a so-called “30-for-30” framework, each country would be allowed to import “non-sensitive” goods worth $30 billion from the other at reduced tariff rates.

The more favorable tariff treatment followed recommendations from the US-China Board of Trade and would improve market access for about 30% of US exports to China, US trade representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement Sunday.

Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg/Getty Images

The Trump-Xi meeting was heavy on pomp, light on substance. China is just fine with that

“The Trump Administration will continue to pursue fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade with China by ensuring compliance with commitments on agricultural and energy purchases, pursuing balanced trade in non-sensitive goods, and securing market access for American farmers, manufacturers, businesses, and workers,” he added.

The Chinese list of US products that will be subject to lower tariffs covers 1,619 items, including corn, wheat, frozen meat, seafood, wood products, cosmetics and medical devices, according to a list published by the White House . US soybeans were not included, a blow to struggling American farmers who have been collateral damage from a years-long tit-for-tat trade war between the two countries.

The White House also said that China would import at least 10 million metric tons of coal from the United States in 2027 and again in 2028. Previous commitments to import certain quantities of goods, such as agricultural products, have not always been met in full, however.

The US list of Chinese imports covers 77 items, including toys, tableware, kitchen accessories, curtains, electric shavers and inflatable balls.

The Chinese commerce ministry said the agreement would “further stabilize” China-US economic and trade relations and “create favorable conditions” for the export of relevant Chinese products to the United States.

The announcement comes after the US and China agreed ahead of Xi’s visit to press pause on escalating tariff measures until January 10. The trade truce – which sets tariff levels at 30% on Chinese goods and 10% on US goods – has been extended multiple times since May 2025, when the two countries met in Geneva for negotiations.

The goods listed Sunday, however, will likely be carved out of future tariff measures.

Trump has used tariffs to narrow the US trade deficit with China – or the difference between what America exports to China and what it imports from China – prompting Chinese exporters to send more goods elsewhere, including to Europe.

In an interview with CNBC on Friday, Greer said the deficit on goods trade with China had fallen 40% since Trump took office and was on track to reach $140 billion this year. Data from the US Census Bureau showed the deficit amounted to around $295 billion in 2024.

Beyond trade, the two countries also agreed to establish a bilateral communication channel to discuss any artificial intelligence-related “incidents,” according to the White House.

The White House said Xi and Trump agreed to use the term “super intelligence” rather than “artificial intelligence” to describe the emerging technology, and that the two sides had established the. U.S.-China Super Intelligence Dialogue to exchange views on risks and benefits related to AI. The next exchange will occur by November 2026.

– CNN’s Stephanie Yang, Issy Ronald and Sylvie Zhang contributed reporting.

Hector Ramal/AFP/Getty Images

美国和中国已同意大幅削减价值 600 亿美元的商品关税，以深化稳定两国经常紧张的关系的努力。

关税减免涵盖一系列产品，从美国煤炭和农产品到中国制造的玩具、汽车座椅和节日装饰品。

白宫周日晚间发布的声明是在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普和中国领导人习近平上周在华盛顿举行备受瞩目的会晤之后发布的。

白宫表示，根据所谓的“30换30”框架，每个国家将被允许以较低的关税税率从另一个国家进口价值300亿美元的“非敏感”商品。

美国贸易代表杰米森·格里尔周日在一份声明中表示，更优惠的关税待遇是根据美中贸易委员会的建议做出的，将改善约30%的美国对华出口产品的市场准入。

Shawn Thew/EPA/彭博社/Getty Images

特朗普与习近平的会晤形式大于内容，中国对此并不在意。

“特朗普政府将继续与中国开展公平、平衡和互惠的贸易，确保中国遵守农产品和能源采购承诺，在非敏感商品领域追求平衡贸易，并确保美国农民、制造商、企业和工人获得市场准入，”他补充道。

根据白宫公布的清单，中国将对1619种美国产品降低关税，其中包括玉米、小麦、冷冻肉类、海鲜、木制品、化妆品和医疗器械。美国大豆不在清单之列，这对苦苦挣扎的美国农民来说无疑是一记重击，他们多年来一直是中美贸易战的牺牲品。

白宫还表示，中国将在2027年和2028年分别从美国进口至少1000万吨煤炭。然而，此前对进口特定数量商品（例如农产品）的承诺并非总是能够完全兑现。

美国公布的中国进口商品清单涵盖77种商品，包括玩具、餐具、厨房用品、窗帘、电动剃须刀和充气球。

中国商务部表示，该协议将“进一步稳定”中美经贸关系，并为中国相关产品出口美国“创造有利条件”。

此前，中美两国在习近平主席访美前达成协议，暂停逐步升级关税措施至1月10日。这项贸易休战协议——将中国商品的关税水平设定为30%，美国商品的关税水平设定为10%——自2025年5月两国在日内瓦举行会谈以来，已多次延期。

不过，周日列出的这些商品很可能不会被纳入未来的关税措施。

特朗普利用关税缩小了美国对华贸易逆差——即美国出口到中国的商品与从中国进口的商品之间的差额——促使中国出口商将更多商品出口到其他地方，包括欧洲。

格里尔周五接受CNBC采访时表示，自特朗普上任以来，美国对华商品贸易逆差已下降40%，预计今年将达到1400亿美元。美国人口普查局的数据显示，到2024年，这一逆差将达到约2950亿美元。

据白宫称，除了贸易之外，两国还同意建立双边沟通渠道，讨论任何与人工智能相关的“事件”。

白宫表示，习近平主席和特朗普总统同意使用“超级智能”而非“人工智能”来描述这项新兴技术，双方已建立“中美超级智能对话机制”，就人工智能相关的风险和益处交换意见。下一次对话将于2026年11月举行。

– CNN的Stephanie Yang、Issy Ronald和Sylvie Zhang对此报道亦有贡献。