Trump Suggests U.S.-China Trade Deal Could Happen in Weeks, Remains Firm on Tariffs

President Donald Trump indicated on Thursday that a U.S.-China trade deal could be within reach in the next three to four weeks. His comments followed a series of high-level talks between Chinese officials and the U.S. since he escalated tariffs on Chinese imports by nearly tripling them last week.

Speaking to reporters after signing executive orders aimed at deregulating the seafood industry, Trump addressed questions regarding the ongoing trade negotiations. When asked if he had spoken directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the president remained tight-lipped but confirmed that Chinese officials had reached out “a lot” in recent days.

“They’ve reached out a number of times,” Trump said, confirming that high-level Chinese officials were in regular contact with the U.S. government. Trump’s remarks come after he imposed a sharp increase in tariffs, raising them from 54% to 145% on Chinese imports.

Despite media reports suggesting Trump’s refusal to initiate direct contact with China, Trump indicated that U.S. officials have been urging the Chinese to initiate a call with him. However, no such call has taken place yet.

When pressed about whether he had spoken to Xi directly, Trump neither confirmed nor denied the conversation but spoke highly of his relationship with the Chinese leader.

“I’ve never said whether or not it [has happened], but I have a very good relationship with President Xi, and I think it’s going to continue,” Trump explained. “They have reached out a number of times.”

The press quickly sought clarification about whether Trump was referring to Xi personally or other Chinese officials. Trump responded by emphasizing that he considered any communication from top Chinese officials to be directly tied to Xi, describing him as a “tight, strong, and smart” leader who is well-informed on the situation.

“It would be top levels of China, and if you knew Xi, you would know that if they reached out, he knew exactly – he knew everything about it,” Trump added. “We’re talking to China.”

Despite calls from some quarters for a quicker resolution to the trade dispute, Trump expressed confidence that there is “plenty of time” to secure a deal with China. He suggested that a resolution could be achieved within the next few weeks.

“I think maybe the whole thing could be concluded in three or four weeks,” Trump said, signaling his optimism about reaching an agreement.

However, the president also made it clear that he would be content with the outcome, even if a deal does not materialize.

“At a certain point, if we don’t make a deal, we’ll just set a limit. We’ll set a tariff. We’ll set some parameters, and we’ll say, ‘Come in and shop,’” Trump said. “They always have a right not to do it, so they can say, ‘We don’t want it, so we’re not going to shop there, we’re not going to shop in the store of America.’ We have something that nobody else has, and that’s the American consumer.”

Trump’s comments reflect his ongoing hardline stance on tariffs while also expressing a willingness to engage in further talks with China to resolve the long-running trade conflict.