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U.S. Downplays Hopes for China Deal Soon Amid EU, Nafta Progress

  • Lighthizer sees EU, Nafta progress; China talks may take years
  • China says ‘extortion’ won’t work to help reach a trade deal
Robert Lighthizer, U.S. trade representative, testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, on July 26. 

Robert Lighthizer, U.S. trade representative, testifies during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing in Washington, on July 26. 

Photographer: Zach Gibson/Bloomberg

President Donald Trump’s trade battle with China is showing no signs of letting up, even after he made peace with the European Union and signs mounted that a tentative deal on a new Nafta may be reached next month.

The pact with the EU to refrain from new tariffs, announced Wednesday, has Bank of America Corp. economists suggesting a possible turning point in the global trade war. To celebrate the breakthrough, Trump tweeted a photo of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker greeting him with a kiss on the cheek.