US lifts tariffs on 400 Chinese products, Trump wants complete trade deal

Trump said the United States was taking in billions of dollars from tariffs imposed on Chinese products, adding that the total would soon reach $100 billion

US President Donald Trump said his administration was “making a lot of progress” with China on Friday, as deputy-level trade talks continued for a second day and Washington lifted tariffs on over 400 Chinese products.

Trump, speaking to reporters at a White House meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said the United States was taking in billions of dollars from tariffs imposed on Chinese products, adding that the total would soon reach $100 billion.

Talks were going well, though, he indicated. “I will say this: We’re making a lot of progress with China,” the Republican president said.

China agreeing to more agricultural purchases would not be enough, he said. “We're looking for a complete deal. I'm not looking for a partial deal,” he said, adding that he did not need a deal to happen before the 2020 presidential election. The Trump administration and China’s Communist Party remain far apart on issues that are the basis of their trade dispute, including the US declaring some Chinese state companies national security risks, and Beijing’s refusal to revamp its economic model by eliminating subsidies for state firms.

The United States Trade Representative's office issued three Federal Register notices exempting a wide range of products from tariffs in response to requests from US companies.