US Trade Rep Expects No ‘Enormous Breakthrough Today’ in Latest China Talks

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday that China’s willingness to have another round of trade talks with the United States is a “good sign,” but suggested that there might not be any significant breakthroughs resulting from these negotiations.

“I don’t expect some kind of enormous breakthrough today,” Greer said during an appearance on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program. “What I expect is continued monitoring and checking in on the implementation of our agreement thus far.”

His remarks were made as top Trump administration officials meet with their Chinese counterparts in Stockholm for the third round of negotiations aimed at deescalating trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

In April, President Donald Trump unveiled his reciprocal tariff strategy as part of the effort to rebalance the United States’ trade relations with the rest of the world. In the days that followed, Washington and Beijing engaged in a back-and-forth volley of trade restrictions, with each imposing import duties of 145 percent and 125 percent, respectively, on the other’s goods.

Following earlier meetings in London and Geneva, the two sides reached a preliminary agreement to pause most tariffs for 90 days and roll back certain restrictions, including China’s export controls on rare earth metals and magnets made from them.

At the same time, the Trump administration has secured new trade agreements with key partners, including the European Union and Japan.

When asked whether the United States is entering the latest talks with China “in a good position,” Greer highlighted recent progress with other global partners, saying that the American delegates are coming in “with a strong hand.”

“Our discussions with the Chinese are always cordial and constructive,” Greer said in the interview. “This is the third round in the past three months, so just the fact that we’re talking and we want to move forward in a positive way, is its own good sign.”

It is widely expected that American and Chinese officials will collaborate to arrange a meeting between their leaders later this year in hopes of reaching a more lasting trade agreement. While Greer said he doesn’t know when or where such a summit would take place, he noted that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have been in touch “with some relative frequency,” and that there is “certainly interest on both sides” for them to meet in the near future.

“That’s certainly something on the agenda of both sides,” he said.

As the third round of negotiations continues, a key question is whether the two countries will extend their temporary pause on tariffs. The current 90-day suspension is set to expire on Aug. 12.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in the Swedish capital, suggested last week that an extension is likely.

“We’ll be working out what is likely an extension,” Bessent said in an interview with Fox Business last week, adding that he believes “trade is in a very good place with China.”