Ahead of an expected Trump-Xi summit in Beijing, senior officials from both nations meet to address tariffs, rare earth exports and high-tech controls.
Top trade officials from the United States and China convened in Paris on 15 March 2026 for a two-day round of talks aimed at resolving key economic disputes before an anticipated summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, expected in Beijing from 31 March to 2 April.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the OECD headquarters in Paris. Discussions are focused on shifting US tariff levels, the flow of Chinese-produced rare earth minerals and magnets to US buyers, American high-tech export controls, and Chinese purchases of US agricultural products.
The talks come at a turbulent moment for global trade. China and the US fought a bruising trade war through much of 2025, with reciprocal tariffs reaching triple digits and export restrictions threatening supply chains for critical minerals. Tensions eased after Trump and Xi met in Busan, South Korea, in October, but new US probes into Chinese industrial overcapacity announced this week risk renewed friction. Analysts say prospects for a major breakthrough remain limited, with both sides primarily seeking to avoid re-escalation ahead of the summit.
Source: Al Jazeera / AFP / Reuters
