US to seek public comment on lowering tariffs on $30 billion of Chinese goods

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said today that the government will seek public input to determine which Chinese goods may be eligible for lower tariffs. Reuters reported that Washington and Beijing have agreed to establish a 'Board of Trade' to initially evaluate which tariffs can be lowered or eliminated on approximately $30 billion worth of non-strategic goods. Greer said the relevant announcement will be released in the near future. When asked what results the U.S. achieved at the summit between President Trump and President Xi Jinping in Beijing, other than the sale of 200 Boeing aircraft and a $17 billion agricultural purchase commitment, Greer replied, 'I can continue to impose tariffs on China, which is really great.' He also said that U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are likely to remain higher than those on other countries for a long time. Greer pointed out that the U.S. side 'has accepted the fact that the way the Chinese political system operates, including all economic aspects, will not undergo comprehensive, large-scale reforms, but we can engage in partial managed trade.' He emphasized that before the summit, some predicted Trump would make major concessions, but that did not happen. 'We continue to push for strategic stability plans, we maintain tariff measures, and we continue to try to adopt managed trade practices. We also continue to secure supplies of rare earths,' he said.