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Trump and Xi Create Limited Trade Boards Instead of Broad Reconciliation

The summit set up a $30 billion carve-out and product-by-product deals to reduce near-term volatility while leaving core technology and export-control disputes intact.

Overview

  • The leaders agreed at a May 13–15 summit to create bilateral Boards of Trade and Investment to manage roughly $30 billion in non-sensitive goods and to provide a formal forum for ongoing talks.
  • China committed to buy at least $17 billion a year in U.S. agricultural products through 2028 and to purchase about 200 Boeing planes, securing narrow, product-level commercial wins for the United States.
  • U.S. export controls on advanced chips and equipment remain in place and China has not yet approved shipments of Nvidia chips that Washington cleared for export, leaving strategic tech access unresolved.
  • President Trump traveled with about 30 U.S. CEOs and staged high-profile business meetings in Beijing that emphasized stability and market access promises but offered few detailed implementation rules.
  • The package reduces the risk of immediate trade shocks but is fragile because both countries continue to build supply-chain resilience and could reverse the deals if geopolitical strains rise; Xi is expected to visit Washington later in 2026, which may determine next steps.