Trump Delays China Tariffs Ahead of Xi Jinping Summit

The United States government is expected to postpone the announcement of new tariffs targeting trading partners' alleged excess manufacturing capacity until after a summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting is scheduled for September 24 in Washington.

The administration had planned to release a trade report recommending a 7.5 percent tariff on Chinese products, which could restore total duties on Chinese goods to approximately 20 percent. These measures follow a Section 301 investigation launched in March into China, South Korea, Japan, and 13 other economies. The new duties are intended to replace country-specific emergency tariffs that the Supreme Court of the United States struck down in February 2026.

Officials are using the delay as a strategic bargaining tool to apply leverage during high-level talks without backing China into a corner. Beyond trade, the summit agenda includes agriculture, energy trade, responsible artificial intelligence development, and U.S. sanctions on countries conducting business with Iran.

Separately, Donald Trump has expressed frustration over Canada's pursuit of associate membership with the European Union. He suggested that tariffs on Canada could return if such agreements threaten U.S. interests.