US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer commented on trade negotiation with China for the first time since taking the leading role. He noted that 90 days talk has a “hard deadline” and Trump is “not talking about going beyond March. And, “the way this is set up is that at the end of 90 days, these tariffs will be raised”. US has postponed raising of tariffs on USD 200B in Chinese imports from 10% to 25% after Trump-Xi meeting.
Lighthizer also said the US need “agricultural sales” and “manufacturing sales”. But at the same time “we need structural changes on this fundamental issue of non-economic technology transfer.” And, Americans “can be reassured that if there is a deal that can be made that will assure the protection of U.S. technology…and get additional market access…the president wants us to do it.” But he also echoed Trump’s rhetorics that “if not we will have tariffs.”
