Trump says the trade pact between the two countries could be concluded in "weeks"

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Speaking at the Oval Office, the President said that a trade agreement, which he describes as "the grandfather of them", could be announced "in the next four weeks or maybe less, or maybe more, whatever that takes, "describing the eventual agreement as" very monumental. "

He refused to confirm reports that he would hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month after a meeting at the White House with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, who spoke to with US negotiators this week in Washington. Instead, pointing out "if he does not agree, a top with Xi is off".

"If we have an agreement, we will have a summit," said Trump, who acknowledged that the two sides had not reached an agreement on more difficult issues related to intellectual property, tariffs and law enforcement. "If there is no agreement, we will not organize a summit."

The trade war between the United States and China at unbeatable prices now exceeds the mark of the first anniversary. But senior officials from both countries in recent weeks have begun to say that they are approaching the end of a commercial stalemate that had already shaken Wall Street, although neither of the parties Provided details on the progress of negotiations in recent weeks.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said on Wednesday that negotiators were making "progress" as US Trade High Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin launched three days of talks on a global agreement. The agreement addresses long-standing intellectual property issues and puts an end to Beijing's practice of forcing US companies to sell their technology to enter the Chinese market.

"We are making progress, but I hope we will go further this week," said Kudlow, speaking to the press at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor.

The question is whether the two sides can reach an agreement that could raise billions of dollars of tariffs on Chinese products in exchange for the possibility for the United States to take unilateral measures to penalize Beijing it's not respecting the rules of the agreement. .

"We are working on this issue," said Myron Brilliant, executive vice president and head of international affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce earlier this week. "That's why we do not have a final package at this point."

Trump and other senior administration officials in recent weeks have made it clear that they plan to keep tariffs on the $ 250 billion worth of Chinese goods for a "substantial period".

"We need to make sure that if we reach an agreement with China, China will respect this agreement," Trump told reporters as he was leaving Washington for Ohio before Lighthizer and Mnuchin's trip to Beijing last week.

At the time, Trump had not specified whether the United States planned to maintain tariffs on all of the $ 250 billion of Chinese goods that they had imposed or for how long .

The White House could adopt various approaches, either by deciding to partially eliminate tariffs, or by possibly reducing the level of duties currently imposed, a decision that will ultimately return to the president who advocated a heavy tariff policy.

Kudlow refused Wednesday to speculate on the possible adoption by the administration of a tariff easing on Beijing.

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