US and China hold trade talks in Paris ahead of expected Trump visit
Mar 15th 2026
Top US and Chinese negotiators met in Paris to try to resolve tariffs, export controls and rare earth supply issues ahead of a planned Trump-Xi summit later this month.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng at the OECD in Paris for two days of talks.
- Discussions focus on tariffs, rare earth minerals and magnets, high-tech export controls, and Chinese purchases of US agricultural goods.
- The talks are meant to set the stage for a Trump-Xi summit expected March 31 to April 2, although Beijing has not confirmed the dates.
- The meeting follows a bruising 2025 trade war and comes as the US launches probes into Chinese industrial overcapacity and forced labour.
- Global energy and shipping concerns tied to the US-Israel war with Iran are likely to be raised because they affect oil flows and supply chains.
- Analysts say a major breakthrough is unlikely and the immediate goal is to avoid re-escalation of tensions