Foreign Policy

Beijing: China, U.S. Agree To Roll Back Tariffs In Phases

A spokesperson for China's commerce ministry announced the agreement during a news briefing Thursday.

Beijing: China, U.S. Agree To Roll Back Tariffs In Phases
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The U.S. and China have agreed to roll back tariffs on each other's goods as part of a partial deal to end the months-long trade war between them. 

A spokesperson for China's commerce ministry announced the agreement during a news briefing Thursday.

He said both China and the U.S. would simultaneously cancel the same proportion of tariffs in stages as part of a "phase one" trade deal. It's unclear exactly which tariffs would be dropped and when.   

The U.S. didn't immediately confirm the agreement. But earlier this week, a senior Trump administration official told The Wall Street Journal: "If there's a deal, [removing] tariffs will be part of it."

Back in October, President Donald Trump said the two countries had agreed on the outlines of a partial trade deal. President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to sign that deal soon.