#USChinaTradeTalks

Who’s Involved & Why It Matters

• US delegation (Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent, Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick, Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer) met China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng at Lancaster House to revive the Geneva truce struck May 12—including rollbacks on steep tariffs .

• The main agenda: rare-earth minerals and export controls—Washington wants assurances and concrete “handshakes” from Beijing, while Beijing signals willingness to ease export licensing .

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🔄 What’s Changed & What’s at Stake

• The Geneva pact temporarily reduced tariffs from ~145% to 30%, and China reciprocated, but both sides are now pushing to solidify implementation and broaden the deal .

• U.S. pressure: lift export controls on semiconductors and rare-earth shipments (key for EV, aerospace, and military supply chains). China has already approved some export licenses .

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📈 Market Reaction

• Asian equities rallied (Nikkei +0.9%, Hang Seng +0.8%) and the dollar dipped as investors welcomed progress .

• U.S. stocks were mixed: S&P 500 hit 6,000 again, slight downtick in the Dow (~–0.1%), Nasdaq up modestly .

• Crypto markets (BTC, ETH) strengthened due to optimism around this round of talks .