Economics

U.S. and China Sign Phase One of Trade Deal

White House ceremony caps years of acrimonious talks
Big issues of Beijing’s state-run economy left for phase two

President Donald Trump says trade talks with China were tough and honest. He says tariffs “will all come off as soon as we finish Phase Two.”(Source: Bloomberg)

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By Shawn Donnan, Josh Wingrove, and Saleha Mohsin

January 15, 2020 at 6:03 PM UTC

Updated on

January 16, 2020 at 8:52 AM UTC

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The U.S. and China signed what they billed as the first phase of a broader trade pact on Wednesday amid persistent questions over whether President Donald Trump’s efforts to rewrite the economic relationship with Beijing will ever go any further.