US, China list goods recommended for tariff cuts following Trump-Xi summit

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkPresidents Xi Jinping, left, and Donald Trump shake hands in Washington, DC, US, on September 25, 2026 [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo]By John PowerPublished On 28 Sep 202628 Sep 2026The United States and China have unveiled a list of goods recommended for reduced tariffs following last week’s summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.The release of the list on Sunday comes after Trump and Xi agreed to work towards lowering tariffs on $60bn worth of trade.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Ireland beats Israel 3-0 wearing black armbands to support Gazalist 2 of 4Palestine Action protesters arrested outside UK Labour Party conferencelist 3 of 4Venezuelans rally for opposition leader’s return and presidential electionslist 4 of 4Anthropic CEO Amodei to have dinner with Trump at White Houseend of listThe agreement, which covers $30bn of each side’s imports, identifies 77 Chinese goods and more than 1,600 US products to be considered for more favourable tariff treatment.Chinese goods on the list include microwave ovens, fish hooks, artificial flowers and weighing scales.US exports identified for lower tariffs include poultry, dairy products, noodles, eggs, peanuts, canned tomatoes, pure-breed breeding horses, and silk.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the agreement would improve market access for about 30 percent of US exports to China and also benefit US consumers.“The Trump Administration will continue to pursue fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade with China by ensuring compliance with commitments on agricultural and energy purchases, pursuing balanced trade in non-sensitive goods, and securing market access for American farmers, manufacturers, businesses, and workers,” Greer said in a statement. China’s Ministry of Commerce, which confirmed the list on Monday, shortly after the White House announcement, said the sides would discuss “a reciprocal tariff reduction framework of $30 billion for $30 billion, aiming to reach a consensus”.“This arrangement will help stabilize China-US trade, create better conditions for Chinese exports of relevant products to the US, meet domestic market demand, and strengthen trade cooperation in agricultural products, energy, manufactured goods, and consumer goods,” the ministry said in a statement.While Trump and Xi’s summit was heavy on pomp and ceremony, their talks wrapped up on Friday with few concrete announcements on the myriad divisions between the superpower rivals, which span everything from trade to artificial intelligence and Taiwan.Trump and Xi, who have held three face-to-face summits since last October, are expected to meet again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen, China, in November, and the Group of 20 gathering in Miami, Florida, in December.Trade between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, has declined substantially since Trump, a longtime critic of free trade policies, returned to the White House in January last year.Two-way trade totalled $495bn in 2025, down 25 percent from the previous year, according to the US Trade Representative.Deborah Elms, head of trade policy at the Hinrich Foundation in Singapore, said the latest announcement did not point to a major shift in US-China trade.“Instead, both sides have largely listed goods that do not move the needle on overall trade flows,” Elms told Al Jazeera.“They may reduce some prices in the US for consumers, but none is going to make a dramatic difference in inflation figures or result in meaningful sighs of relief by most US buyers,” Elms added.“The same is broadly true with the Chinese list. Although there are many different agricultural products on the list, most are not actually exported to China or not exported in meaningful quantities.”