Tariffs: US delays hike on Chinese-made cell phones, toys
CNNCNN — The top US trade negotiator on Tuesday said that new tariffs on Chinese-made consumer goods including cell phones, toys and video game consoles would be delayed until December 15. “Just in case they might have an impact on people.” The move comes after a phone call between US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and top Chinese negotiator Liu He in which the parties agreed to pick up negotiations by phone within two weeks, according to a statement from the Chinese Commerce Ministry. In his comments to reporters, Trump said his negotiators had a positive call with their Chinese counterparts, and that “they would really like to make a deal.” The President also made sure to note that the stock market – his favorite measuring stick – was “way up” for many reasons, including the tariff news. The Office of the US Trade Representative said in its statement Tuesday that it would also exclude certain products based on health, safety and national security reasons from either list.