The United States and China extended their trade truce until January 10, beyond its November expiry, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met Friday; analysts say the brief extension leaves wider disputes unresolved.
The truce was agreed last year after tariffs topped 100% at one point. Under it, China agreed to buy more US soybeans and other agricultural products and suspend rare-earth restrictions for a year. Former US official Daniel Kritenbrink said further tangible outcomes would be needed for a long-term extension; analyst Mary Lovely cited Washington’s concern about rare-earth magnet deliveries.
Trump and Xi agreed to meet twice more this year. US trade official Jamieson Greer said both countries had made progress on other economic outcomes, with more details expected Monday, and agreed on products that could be excluded from future trade disputes. Bessent said they also agreed to some form of notification system for AI threats; researcher Peter Richardson said its trigger would be difficult to define.
