#TradeWarEases China and the United States agree to reduce tariffs for 90 days during negotiations.

The agreement eases tensions in the trade war but hardly contributes to changing the overall direction of deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington, according to analysts.

May 12, 2025, at 3:37 AM EDTToday at 3:37 AM EDT

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Vendors wait for their customers in the Christmas tree shop at the Yiwu International Market in eastern China last month, as tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump went into effect. The negotiations held in Geneva this weekend aimed to ease tensions in the trade war between the two largest economies in the world. (Ng Han Guan/AP)

China and the United States have agreed to reduce tariffs on goods from each other for 90 days, providing a temporary reprieve in a trade war that threatens to trigger a global recession and deepen the growing rift between the two largest economies in the world.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Monday at a press conference in Geneva that U.S. tariffs on Chinese products would be reduced from 145% to 30%. China announced it would lower its general tariffs from 125% to 10% starting Wednesday.

In a brief joint statement at the conclusion of the weekend discussions, both parties committed to taking these steps as talks continued in a "spirit of mutual openness, ongoing communication, cooperation, and mutual respect."