AP Explains: A look at where the US-China tariff war stands

BEIJING (AP) — Ahead of China's appearance at the U.N. General Assembly this week, The Associated Press explains where the U.S.-China tariff war stands:

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The United States and China are making conciliatory gestures ahead of trade talks, but they are showing no signs of progress toward ending a tariff war that threatens global economic growth.

Beijing is offering to narrow its trade surplus with the United States by purchasing more American exports. But Chinese leaders are resisting pressure to roll back technology plans that their trading partners say violate Beijing's free-trade commitments and hurt foreign competitors.

Ahead of the 13th round of talks in Washington in early October, President Donald Trump postponed a planned tariff hike on Chinese goods. Beijing lifted punitive duties on soybeans in a move that helps both American farmers and Chinese pig breeders who need soy as feed and are under economic pressure amid a devastating outbreak of African swine fever. Those gestures helped reassure jittery financial markets.

But economists say while some temporary agreements in the sprawling dispute over technology and trade might be possible, they don't expect a final settlement this year.

Trump has accused Beijing of dragging out talks in hopes he will be defeated in his re-election bid next year and his successor might agree to more favorable terms. Private sector analysts say that is unlikely. But they say Beijing might be hoping Trump will feel pressure to compromise to reinforce his self-proclaimed status as a deal-maker.

The tariffs Trump first imposed on Chinese imports last year largely spared American consumers by focusing on industrial goods. But the latest rounds — Sept. 1 and Dec. 15 — hit household goods such as smartphones and baseballs.

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