When President Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China in January, Canadian and Mexican officials rushed to Washington, armed with charts and videos showcasing their efforts to strengthen their borders. Canada established a “fentanyl czar” and allocated resources to combat organized crime, while Mexico deployed troops to the border and handed over cartel operatives to U.S. custody, causing Mr. Trump to pause tariffs on America’s North American neighbors for 30 days. In contrast, China did not make similar gestures andfailed to curb the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Consequently, Mr. Trump proceeded to impose a 10 percent tariff on all Chinese imports and announced plans to add another 10 percent on top of existing tariffs. The Chinese are cautiously assessing Mr. Trump’s intentions and exploring potential trade deals, while the U.S. administration is eager to transform the U.S.-China trade relationship. The Chinese are hesitant to initiate conversations to avoid appearing pleading and are seeking clarity on the parameters of a trade deal. They have expressed interest in mutually beneficial measures and are assessing the significance of recent steps taken by the administration. A call between Mr. Trump and China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has yet to be realized. Analysts suggest that Mr. Trump’s use of tariffs may be undermining the chances of a conciliation as Mr. Xi is unlikely to concede to U.S. demands.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/03/us/politics/trump-tariffs-china.html