U.S. and China hold trade talks in the U.K.
June 9, 2025
by Jill Lawless
The talks, which may continue on Jun. 10, follow negotiations in Geneva last month that brought a temporary respite in the trade war.
High-level delegations from the United States and China met in London on Jun. 9 to try and shore up a fragile truce in a trade dispute that has roiled the global economy,
A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Lancaster House, an ornate 200-year-old mansion near Buckingham Palace.
Wang Wentao, China’s commerce minister, also was part of Beijing’s delegation.
The talks, which may continue on Jun. 10, follow negotiations in Geneva last month that brought a temporary respite in the trade war.
The two countries announced May 12 they had agreed to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100%-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that had sparked fears of recession.
The U.S. and China are the world’s biggest and second-biggest economies. Chinese trade data shows that exports to the United States fell 35% in May from a year earlier.
Since the Geneva talks, the U.S. and China have exchanged angry words over advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, visas for Chinese students at American universities and ” rare earth ” minerals that are vital to carmakers and other industries.
President Donald Trump spoke at length with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by phone on Jun. 5 in an attempt to put relations back on track. Trump announced on social media the following day that the trade talks would resume in London.
Rare earths were expected to be a focus of the talks. The Chinese government started requiring producers to obtain a license to export seven rare earth elements in April. Resulting shortages sent automakers worldwide into a tizzy. As stockpiles ran down, some worried they would have to halt production.
Beijing indicated on Jun. 7 that it is addressing the concerns, which have come from European companies as well as U.S. firms.
Kevin Hassett, a U.S. economic adviser, told CNBC on Jun. 9 that he expected a short meeting with “a big, strong handshake” on rare earths.
