--- title: "Bessent says China tariffs are not sustainable as US signals willingness to de-escalate" description: "U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the current high tariffs between the U.S. and China are unsustainable, as the Trump administration shows willingness to de-escalate trade tensions. U." type: "news" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/237235695.md" published_at: "2025-04-23T19:28:28.000Z" --- # Bessent says China tariffs are not sustainable as US signals willingness to de-escalate > U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the current high tariffs between the U.S. and China are unsustainable, as the Trump administration shows willingness to de-escalate trade tensions. U.S. stocks rose on hopes of tariff reductions, although negotiations are not imminent. The IMF warned that tariffs could hinder global growth. A Reuters/Ipsos poll indicates declining approval of Trump's economic performance, with only 37% of Americans satisfied with his handling of the economy. US stocks rally on hopes of tariff reduction Trump administration signals willingness to lower China tariffs IMF warns tariffs will slow global growth and increase debt Americans souring on Trump economic performance, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds By David Lawder and Trevor Hunnicutt WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that high tariffs between the United States and China are not sustainable, as President Donald Trump’s administration signaled openness to de-escalating a trade war between the world’s two largest economies that has raised fears of recession. U.S. stocks rallied on hopes that the two countries might lower the steep trade barriers they have erected over the past month, though there was no sign that negotiations might start anytime soon. Bessent said the tariffs – 145% on Chinese products and 125% on U.S. products – would have to come down before trade talks can proceed, but said Trump would not make that move unilaterally. “Neither side believes that these are sustainable levels. As I said yesterday, this is the equivalent of an embargo and a break between the two countries in trade does not suit anyone’s interest,” Bessent told reporters. The White House is open to discussing a significant rate cut on Chinese imports in order to advance negotiations with Beijing but will not do so alone, according to a person familiar with the conversations. That person would not say how low the White House might be willing to go, but the Wall Street Journal reported the figure could be as low as 50%. A White House spokesperson dismissed any reports as “pure speculation,” and said news on tariffs would come from Trump himself. “We are going to have a fair deal with China,” Trump told reporters, but did not outline any specifics. The tariff levels outlined in the Journal report would likely still be high enough to deter a significant chunk of trade between the world’s two largest economies. German shipper Hapag-Lloyd said Wednesday that 30% of its U.S.-bound shipments from China have been cancelled. Separate talks between the two countries over tackling the fentanyl epidemic have not yielded results so far, sources say. The apparent U.S. softening on China tariffs was a welcome sign for markets battered by Trump’s erratic trade policies. The benchmark S&P 500 was up 2.11% in midday trading, but is still more than 12% below its February record close. “It’s about all of the political and policy uncertainty and what it could mean for the economy in the near term,” said Jim Baird of Plante Moran Financial Advisors. Bessent said the third quarter of this year is a “reasonable estimate” for achieving clarity on the ultimate level of Trump’s tariffs. In addition to the steep tariffs on China, Trump has also imposed a blanket 10% tariff on all other U.S. imports and higher duties on steel, aluminum and autos. He has suspended targeted tariffs on dozens of other countries until July 9 and floated additional industry-specific levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. That has roiled financial markets and raised fears of recession. The European Union, which Trump has threatened with 20% tariffs, would respond with countertariffs if it cannot reach a deal with the United States before the July 9 deadline, economy minister Valdis Dombrovskis said on Wednesday. He said the 27-member trade bloc has offered to buy more liquid natural gas from the United States and reduce tariffs on certain goods. Other countries are looking to negotiate as well. Vietnam’s trade minister spoke to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday, state media reported. The International Monetary Fund said Wednesday the tariffs will slow growth and push debt higher across the globe. S&P Global found that U.S. business activity slowed to a 16-month low in April while prices charged for goods and services soared. The Federal Reserve said it found economic activity in the United States to be steady over the past month, despite “pervasive” uncertainty around trade. The central bank’s survey found a drop in international visitors in some areas, and the outlook in several of the Fed’s 12 regional districts “worsened considerably.” A Reuters/Ipsos poll found Americanssouring on Trump’s economic peformance. Just 37% of respondents approve of his handling of the economy, down from 42% when he took office in January. ## Related News & Research | Title | Description | URL | |-------|-------------|-----| | 學習英偉達刺激芯片銷售，AMD 為 “AI 雲” 借款做擔保 | AMD 為擴大市場份額祭出金融 “狠招”！為初創公司 Crusoe 的 3 億美元購芯貸款提供擔保，承諾在其無客户時 “兜底” 租用芯片。這一復刻英偉達 “租卡雲” 路徑的策略雖能短期推高銷量，但也令 AMD 在 AI 需求放緩時面臨更大的 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276401504.md) | | 沃爾瑪四季度財報超預期但盈利指引不及預期，CEO 稱 “美國低收入家庭只能勉強維持生計” | 沃爾瑪 Q4 營收超預期，新財年盈利指引（每股 2.75-2.85 美元）遠低於市場預期的 2.96 美元，顯示通脹壓力下消費者支出不確定性猶存，拖累股價下跌 1.38%。財報印證 K 型” 分化：高收入家庭驅動增長，低收入羣體 “錢包吃緊 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276398633.md) | | 谷歌突然發佈 Gemini 3.1 Pro：核心推理性能直接翻倍 | 谷歌發佈了最新的大模型 Gemini 3.1 Pro，其推理性能較去年發佈的 Gemini 3 Pro 翻倍。在 ARC-AGI-2 評測中，Gemini 3.1 Pro 得分 77.1%，顯示出強大的推理能力。新模型支持多源數據綜合和複雜 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276396515.md) | | 最高法裁決後特朗普動用替補選擇：加徵 10% 全球關税 | 美國總統特朗普在最高法院裁決後宣佈將加徵 10% 的全球關税，以補救被推翻的關税措施。根據《1974 年貿易法》第 122 條款，現有的關税將全面生效。最高法院裁定特朗普政府的部分關税措施缺乏法律授權。市場風險提示，投資需謹慎。 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276477629.md) | | 彭博新聞報道，康菲石油正在考慮出售其價值 20 億美元的二疊紀資產 | 2 月 20 日（路透社）- 據彭博新聞週五報道，康菲石油正在探索出售其部分二疊紀盆地資產，這是其更廣泛的投資組合精簡的一部分，消息人士透露。這些資產是通過與 Concho Resources 和 Shell（SHEL.L）的交易在多年中收 | [Link](https://longbridge.com/en/news/276478732.md) | --- > **Disclaimer**: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.