US and China Unveil Mutual $30 Billion Tariff Reduction Lists
The US and China have published mutual tariff-reduction lists worth $30 billion each following a Washington summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, featuring unusual items ranging from live whales to Christmas decorations.
US and China Release Mutual Tariff Reduction Lists Worth $30 Billion
The United States and China have published mutual lists of goods valued at approximately $30 billion each, on which they plan to reduce tariffs. The lists were released following last week's summit in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. Beyond the large numbers, what truly drew attention was the unusual and rather puzzling composition of the goods on the list.
China's published list includes no fewer than 1,619 types of products from American imports. Alongside food products such as butter, lobsters, offal, and foie gras, the Chinese also included coal, construction wood, hair care products, and rabbit hair. The highlight is the breeding animals category: the list includes donkeys, mules, horses, and even live whales, dolphins, and manatees.
Tariffs and Consumer Goods Under the New Agreement
The animal list is indeed eye-catching, but it mostly shows how detailed and deep customs codes can be, said Han Lin, head of the China branch at the strategic consulting firm The Asia Group.
On the other side, the US list includes 77 categories of products originating from China. American consumers will be able to enjoy tariff reductions on a series of everyday consumer products as well as several unique items: bedding, garden umbrellas, toasters, fishing hooks, billiard balls, artificial flowers, fireworks, tableware, toys such as dolls and puzzles, footballs, and glass and wooden Christmas decorations.
Richard Chan, a Christmas decoration manufacturer from southern China, reacted with excitement to the tariff reduction on the products he manufactures. This is good news, he told the Associated Press. The economic situation in both the US and China is not very good, and both sides need to help each other more.
Despite the festive atmosphere and surprising items, experts noted that this is not a comprehensive commercial revolution but a measured step to calm tensions. Highly strategic and sensitive products—such as semiconductors, batteries, and electric vehicles—remain outside the agreement and will continue to face high tariffs, as does the export of American soybeans to China. According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, more than 90% of the products on the list will transition to most-favored-nation tariff rates.
