US-China trade: Trump’s ‘love fest’ with China won’t end the trade war
CNNHong Kong CNN Business — A tentative truce between the United States and China has raised hopes — yet again — that the two economic superpowers are inching toward a resolution to the trade war. The head of the American Apparel & Footwear Association said in a statement Friday that it welcomes the pause on additional tariffs, but noted that “everything currently being hit with punitive tariffs is still being charged.” If the December tariffs are implemented, the United States will have taxed pretty much all imports from China. Asked if Huawei would be taken off the blacklist, Trump said on Friday: “We’ll talk about that later.” Currency ‘transparency’ Washington also indicated that it could walk back its decision to label Beijing a “currency manipulator.” The United States slapped that designation on China in August after the country’s central bank allowed its currency, the yuan, to weaken amid the ongoing trade dispute. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that the United States will be “evaluating” rescinding China’s currency manipulation designation, without providing details. Noting that currency “has been a very big concern” for Trump, Mnuchin also said Friday that China and the United States now “have an agreement around transparency into the foreign exchange markets and free markets.” Currency experts doubt an agreement would spark any marked change in how China handles the yuan, though.