Sixth round of Sino-US trade talks expected

China and the United States are scheduled to hold their sixth round of trade talks in the near future, during which top negotiators from Beijing and Washington are expected to engage in candid discussions on the rapidly evolving tariff environment and explore new avenues for cooperation, analysts said.

The expectations follow a US Supreme Court ruling on Friday that struck down broad-based tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, invalidating the 10 percent "fentanyl tariff" and the 34 percent "reciprocal tariff" on Chinese goods.

Following the decision, the US swiftly pivoted to Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, imposing a 10 percent import surcharge on all trading partners. The new duties, which took effect on Tuesday, are due to expire after 150 days.

The White House has indicated on multiple occasions that it would resort to statutory authorities — such as Section 301 and Section 232 investigations to levy new tariffs — as the temporary nature of the recently invoked Section 122 import surcharge limits its long-term utility.

China called on the US to revoke existing unilateral tariffs and refrain from imposing new ones, and China stands ready to hold candid consultations with the US during the upcoming round of Sino-US economic and trade consultations, the Ministry of Commerce said on Tuesday.

"China is closely monitoring and will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the measures taken by the US," a spokesperson with the ministry said. "Any adjustments to China's countermeasures targeting the US 'fentanyl tariff' and 'reciprocal tariff', will be made at an appropriate time in light of any developments."

The spokesperson added that the two countries should address each other's concerns on the basis of mutual respect and equal consultation, manage their differences properly, and maintain the sound, stable and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations.

Last year, China and the US conducted five rounds of trade talks, with the latest round taking place in Malaysia in late October which helped the world's two largest economies step back from the brink and achieve an "overall dynamic stability", as described by Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that the upcoming sixth round of trade talks is likely to seek the extension or adjustment of short-term consensus measures previously reached, and explore new cooperation pathways.

The fifth round produced a number of agreements only valid for one year, Bai said, citing measures including tariff policies and relaxation of rare earth export controls. Now that these are approaching expiration, how to adjust them requires both sides to negotiate follow-up arrangements in advance.

"Washington hopes Beijing will further relax restrictions in areas such as rare earths, while China demands that the US change its wrong practices of strangling China in high-tech industries. These will all become negotiation priorities," Bai added.

While China remains committed to working with the US for mutual benefit and the stability of the global economy, experts stressed that Beijing will take firm countermeasures should Washington take any action that infringes upon its interests.

As the US Section 122 import surcharge clock ticks toward its July expiration and new tariffs under Section 301 and 232 investigations proceed, trade talks between China and the US will still be characterized by their protracted, arduous and recurrent nature, said Luo Zhiheng, chief economist and head of the research institute at Yuekai Securities.

"At the end of the day, the upper hand in trade negotiations between China and the US depends on each side's core leverage points — their respective economic resilience and technological strength," Luo said.

Looking ahead to full-year 2026, the impact of recent US tariff policy changes on China's exports is expected to be relatively limited, said Ming Ming, chief economist at CITIC Securities, citing improved trading structure and market diversification that have buffered the world's largest trader in goods against external shocks.

wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn