Overview
- Officials described the Paris sessions as remarkably stable, producing potential deliverables in agriculture, critical minerals and managed‑trade mechanisms for leaders to weigh in Beijing.
- China signaled openness to additional U.S. farm purchases, including poultry, beef and non‑soy row crops, while reaffirming commitments to buy 25 million tons of soybeans annually under the 2025 truce.
- Negotiators advanced proposals for a U.S.–China Board of Trade and a Board of Investment to manage specific trade and investment issues without compromising security‑sensitive supply chains.
- President Trump told the Financial Times he may delay the Beijing trip as he presses for help reopening the Strait of Hormuz, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said any rescheduling would be logistical given the Iran conflict.
- The U.S. opened new Section 301 probes on excess capacity and forced labor that could lead to tariffs, drawing a warning from China about damage to ties, as India said its U.S. trade deal will be signed only after Washington sets a new tariff framework.