Brussels, 27 July (LaPresse) – Beijing and Washington are expected to extend the tariff truce for another three months at trade talks in Stockholm tomorrow. This is according to sources speaking to the South China Morning Post. China and the United States agreed in May to remove most of the heavy tariffs imposed on each other's goods for 90 days, while continuing trade negotiations. The suspension will expire on 12 August. During the third round of trade negotiations between the world's two largest economies, both sides will present their views on key issues – such as US concerns about China's industrial overcapacity – rather than achieving specific progress, the sources said. One source said that during the planned 90-day extension, the two countries should commit not to impose additional tariffs on each other or escalate the trade war by other means. According to three sources close to Beijing's position, while previous talks in Geneva and London focused on ‘de-escalation,’ the Chinese delegation will also press Trump's trade team on fentanyl-related tariffs at the latest meeting. US President Donald Trump imposed an additional 20% tax on Chinese imports in March, arguing that Beijing had not done enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States. Washington has not provided any indication of what progress it considers sufficient on fentanyl to justify easing the tariffs. The Chinese side may seek greater clarity on this threshold during the Stockholm round.
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