U.S. and Chinese Negotiating a Trade War Resolution

(WASHINGTON, DC) A 15-month old trade war is on the line this week as negotiators from the United States and China try to find common ground on a handful of issues. President Donald Trump is looking for protection of U.S. intellectual property, ending forced transfers of American technology to Chinese firms, curbs to industrial subsidies and increased access to China’s largely closed domestic markets. The result of the Chinese practices has led to massive job cuts in the U.S. as well as a deepening trade deficit with the Americans. Trump has planned tariff hikes on Chinese goods for later this month and in December on $250 billion in Chinese goods unless major progress is made to meet his demands. China has been trying to soothe U.S. officials by purchasing more U.S. agricultural commodities ahead of the next round of trade talks scheduled to begin this week in Washington. Chinese buyers purchased more than 1.5 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans last week and 130,000 metric tons of U.S. white wheat – the first large purchase of the grain in over a year.