#TrumpTariffs

A timeline of the US-China tariff and trade spat since President Trump took office this year

Shortly after President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, he launched a tariff war against China, as part of a broader implementation of import taxes on goods from several dozen countries as Trump seeks to reset the foundations of global trade.

Beijing retaliated, and the tariffs on each other escalated to a level that was considered a trade embargo, bringing the two sides to the negotiating table in Geneva in May. Both sides rolled back their tariffs, but tensions flared up over nontariff barriers such as export controls.

China tightened foreign shipments of critical minerals, and the U.S. imposed more export controls on advanced technology and threatened to revoke visas for Chinese students. Trump and Xi had a phone call on June 5, before senior officials from the two governments met in London on this week to reach a “framework” to move forward. Here are the key moments in this year’s trade spat and walk-backs.