Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet at the White House to discuss tariffs and the future of US-China trade relations on September 24

United States President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet at the White House on September 24, 2026, at a summit dominated by trade tensions and negotiations over tariffs.

The dispute between the two economic powers remains unresolved, despite the trade truce agreed in October 2025. In April 2025, the United States raised tariffs on Chinese imports to as much as 145%, while China responded with duties of up to 125%. Subsequently, both countries reduced some of these measures, but the effective US tariff rate on Chinese products stood at 22.8% in July 2026. For steel and aluminum, the rate reached 40.5%.

China applies a general 10% tariff on US products, as well as sector-specific duties, including a 15% tariff on liquefied natural gas. Despite the conflict, bilateral trade increased by 5.4% in the first eight months of 2026, reaching $400.8 billion. The two sides are now negotiating tariff reductions on goods worth $30 billion each.-vesm