Enviro News Asia, Beijing — China has expressed its willingness to work with the United States to create favorable conditions for expanding bilateral agricultural trade following recent economic and trade consultations between the two countries.
Speaking at a regular press briefing on Thursday, Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong said agricultural trade remains an important pillar of China-U.S. economic and commercial cooperation.
Responding to questions regarding whether China would reduce or eliminate tariffs on U.S. agricultural products, He said both countries had reached a broad understanding during recent consultations to promote greater two-way agricultural trade.
According to He, the two sides have established guiding objectives to expand agricultural commerce and have agreed in principle to include relevant agricultural products within a reciprocal tariff-reduction framework.
“The two sides have set guiding targets for expanding two-way agricultural trade and agreed in principle to include relevant agricultural products in arrangements under a reciprocal tariff-reduction framework,” He said.
He added that commercial transactions will continue to be conducted independently by businesses in accordance with market principles, actual demand, and prevailing market conditions.
The spokesperson did not specify which agricultural products would be covered under the proposed tariff arrangements or provide a timeline for implementation.
The latest remarks signal continued efforts by Beijing and Washington to stabilize bilateral economic relations through practical cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture, following recent rounds of trade dialogue. (*)
