‘Total reset negotiated’: Trump started a trade war with China and is already looking for a way out

High-level trade discussions between the United States and China ended in Geneva, Switzerland, with U.S. President Donald Trump announcing a “total reset” in trade relations between the two countries. However, this statement does not match the reality of the high tariffs that are still in place, making it unclear how much real progress was made.

The meeting, which took place over a weekend, included important officials from both nations in an effort to reduce growing trade tensions that have severely disrupted global supply chains and financial markets. According to Politco and BBC, on the U.S. side, the talks involved Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while China was represented by Vice Premier He Lifeng, who leads economic and trade negotiations with the United States.

These discussions happened after both countries had significantly increased tariffs on each other’s goods. The U.S. has imposed tariffs as high as 145 percent on many Chinese imports, with some products facing combined duties reaching 245 percent. China responded with its own tariffs of 125 percent on U.S. goods, nearly blocking trade between the two economic powers. These moves have had widespread effects, disrupting global supply chains and adding to economic instability.

The tariffs may end sooner than expected

Although President Trump praised the talks as making “great progress” and called them a “total reset,” describing the negotiations as “friendly, but constructive,” neither he nor the Treasury Secretary provided details about what specific agreements were reached. The lack of clear information about actual concessions from either side has left experts and observers doubtful about how much was truly accomplished. The discussions are expected to continue, suggesting that resolving the trade dispute will be a complicated and possibly lengthy process.  

China’s official Xinhua News Agency described the talks as a “positive and necessary step” toward resolving disagreements and preventing further conflict. However, Xinhua also repeated China’s firm stance on protecting its economic interests and maintaining the global economic system, subtly emphasizing that any compromises from China would depend on the U.S. taking similar steps.

The statement also indirectly criticized the U.S. tariffs, calling them a “reckless abuse” that has harmed the global economy. Economic analysts do not expect a quick or major resolution to the trade dispute. Even if tariffs are lowered to the 80 percent level mentioned by President Trump, they would still be a major barrier to trade.

The two countries also have very different goals, making it difficult to find a solution that satisfies both sides. The U.S. wants to reduce its large trade deficit with China and gain better access to Chinese markets for American businesses. Meanwhile, China wants the U.S. to lower its tariffs and clarify which specific goods or industries it wants China to buy more of, rejecting what it sees as unfair economic pressure.  

There is also disagreement over who requested the Geneva talks. President Trump suggested that China had asked for the meeting, but Beijing stated that the U.S. was the one who requested it and that China still opposes U.S. tariffs. This difference in accounts makes it harder to judge how much progress was actually made. The White House also made it clear that the U.S. would not reduce tariffs on its own, meaning further cooperation would require China to make concessions.