U.S. and Chinese officials held the first official meeting of the new U.S.-China Board of Trade on Friday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a post on X, with the Treasury Department joining the talks.
“The Trump Administration looks forward to continuing our engagement with China as we work to establish fair and balanced trade between the two largest economies in the world,” USTR wrote on X, according to The Epoch Times.
Today, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, alongside the @USTreasury, held the first official U.S.-China Board of Trade meeting with our Chinese counterparts.
The Trump Administration looks forward to continuing our engagement with China as we work to establish fair and… https://t.co/l2bcAekGLb
— United States Trade Representative (@USTradeRep) November 13, 2026
What was on the table
The two sides discussed tariffs, a reciprocal “$30 billion-for-$30 billion” tariff-cut arrangement, agricultural trade and other issues of mutual concern, China’s Commerce Ministry said Saturday, according to Reuters as published by CNA. The ministry described the video-link exchanges as “candid, in-depth and constructive,” CNA reported.
The ministry did not say whether any agreements were reached, according to CNA. Both sides will keep using the council to address trade concerns, expand cooperation and shrink the list of outstanding issues, the ministry said, CNA reported.
How the board came about
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping set up the Board of Trade during Trump’s May visit to Beijing to manage trade in non-sensitive products, USTR said in a Sept. 27 statement. After Xi’s visit to Washington, the two sides recommended $30 billion of trade in non-sensitive goods on each side that could get more favorable tariff treatment in the future, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in that statement.
“From agricultural products to medical devices, President Trump is unlocking improved market access for about 30 percent of U.S. exports to China,” Greer said at the time.
The U.S. list includes consumer goods such as microwave ovens, electric irons, Christmas decorations and toys, while China’s list focuses on farm products including corn, sorghum, dairy, beef and vegetables, Lianhe Zaobao reported, citing the South China Morning Post. The Epoch Times reported that China’s proposed list also covers wheat and fish.
Farm purchases remain a sticking point
The proposed $60 billion package of reciprocal cuts includes roughly $17 billion worth of U.S. farm goods that China imported in 2024, but it has not been finalized, CNA reported. Chinese purchases of U.S. farm goods other than soybeans are on track to hit a seven-year low this year despite an agreement to buy $17 billion annually through 2028, according to a Reuters analysis of customs data cited by CNA.
Beijing has repeatedly urged Washington to put the tariff cuts in place, calling them a prerequisite for buying more U.S. farm goods, CNA reported. A day before a Nov. 6 video call with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Greer, China’s Commerce Ministry said it remained open to more U.S. agricultural imports provided the reciprocal concessions were carried out, according to Lianhe Zaobao. On that call, Bessent and Greer stressed that China needs to carry out the trade deal the two leaders reached in Busan, South Korea, last year, Lianhe Zaobao reported.
Why it matters
The talks came days before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen, The Epoch Times reported, and the White House has said Trump will meet Xi there on Thursday, according to CNA. For American farmers, the outcome could decide whether the promised purchases materialize: the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in June that farm shipments to China fell 66% in 2025 to $8.4 billion, The Epoch Times reported.
Sources
- U.S. Trade Representative on X
- CNA (Reuters): China, US discuss tariffs, farm trade at first trade council meeting
- Lianhe Zaobao: China-US trade council holds first meeting
- The Epoch Times: US, China Discuss Farm Trade, Tariffs in 1st Trade Board Meeting
- USTR: Ambassador Greer statement on U.S.-China Board of Trade recommendations (Sept. 27)
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