President Donald Trump waffled on the future of his China tariffs, calling them “not sustainable” but then immediately suggesting “it could stand” during a recent interview.
This ambiguity comes as he confirmed a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks. Trump’s contradictory comments—”it’s not sustainable” versus “it could stand”—reflect a volatile negotiating strategy.
He insisted that China “forced” him to implement the tariffs. He also balanced optimism (“I think we’re going to be fine”) with caution (“China is always looking for an edge”).
A 90-day truce that has paused the trade war is set to expire on November 10. This deadline adds significant pressure to the upcoming talks, which are expected to happen at the APEC summit in South Korea.
Trump’s goal remains a “fair deal.” He defended the tariffs as essential, arguing that without them, the US “would be exposed as being a nothing.”