Trump and Xi Reach Tentative Trade Deal and Extend Truce

Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a tentative trade deal on September 25, 2026, following a meeting at the White House. As part of the arrangement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the existing trade truce has been extended until January 10, 2027, pausing a trade war that had seen mutual tariffs exceed 100%.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer detailed that the two nations established a managed trade situation through a Board of Trade mechanism. This agreement exempts a subset of goods from future tariffs or trade disputes, specifically U.S. agricultural products and medical devices, and non-sensitive Chinese consumer goods. Greer noted that the U.S. will release comprehensive details of these accomplishments on Monday.

While the deal prioritizes agricultural trade, specifically soybeans, it explicitly excludes national security issues and advanced technology. Greer clarified that high-quality U.S.-made chips and AI technology were kept off the table to protect American superintelligence capabilities. Additionally, while the two nations deferred tariffs on Chinese industrial overcapacity and discussed AI safety, they reached no formal agreement on the latter.