US-China Board of Trade holds first meeting days before Trump-Xi summit

The United States and China held the inaugural meeting of their bilateral Board of Trade on Friday, just days before US President Donald Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Shenzhen.

“Today, the Office of the US Trade Representative, alongside the @USTreasury, held the first official US-China Board of Trade meeting with our Chinese counterparts,” the US Trade Representative (USTR) said on social media.

“The Trump Administration looks forward to continuing our engagement with China as we work to establish fair and balanced trade between the two largest economies in the world.”

The two countries set up the Board of Trade mechanism in September and drew up lists of non-sensitive goods worth up to US$30 billion each that could be eligible for tariff cuts.

The US import list covered a range of consumer goods, including microwave ovens, electric irons, Christmas decorations and toys. China’s list focused largely on agricultural products, such as corn, sorghum, dairy, beef and vegetables.

The meeting follows last week’s video call between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, USTR Jamieson Greer and Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng.