President Trump said the trade deficit between the U.S. and China must be resolved before he is willing to negotiate a deal regarding the tariffs he placed on Beijing.
“When you look at the trade deficit we have with certain countries … with China it’s a trillion dollars. And we have to solve our trade deficit with China,” Trump said late Sunday aboard Air Force One. “Hundreds of billions of dollars a year we lose with China.”
“I’m willing to make a deal but they have to solve their surplus,” he added.
On Friday, Trump criticized China after Beijing responded to the tariffs he imposed with equal duties of its own on U.S. goods.
Trump said China “played it wrong” and panicked in response to the 34-percent tariff imposed by the U.S.
China’s Finance Ministry said it would impose its own 34 percent tariff on imports from the U.S., sparking a retaliation that is causing concern for a global trade war.