US-China Trade War: 90-Day Tariff Truce Extension Looms as Deadline Nears

Trade tensions take a breather—for now.

The world's two largest economies are kicking the can down the road again. Washington and Beijing are set to extend their fragile tariff ceasefire by another 90 days, avoiding another market-rattling escalation... just in time for election season.

Behind the handshake: Both sides still can't agree on who blinks first.

Wall Street's already pricing in the extension—because nothing says 'progress' like postponing the inevitable. Meanwhile, crypto markets barely flinch. Bitcoin traders shrug: 'We've seen bigger dips from a single Elon Musk tweet.'

Closer: Another temporary fix for a permanent standoff. At least the delay gives hedge funds 90 more days to reposition before the next 'unexpected' breakdown.

Beijing demands tariff review on fentanyl chemicals

A key new hiccup to these talks is that they extend far beyond traditional trade issues: They also involve threats to restrict exports of fentanyl, a potent and deadly synthetic opioid.

The Chinese delegation will also demand during the discussions with US officials that the TRUMP administration remove tariffs on components of a chemical used to make fentanyl, according to people familiar with the matter.

The synthetic opioid has been a leading driver of overdose deaths in the United States. America has blamed Chinese suppliers for adding to the crisis by shipping out precursor chemicals. In retaliation, tariffs were placed on certain chemical imports that were suspected to be in the fentanyl supply chain.

Beijing, though, says that these tariffs set back the cooperative fight to reduce illegal drug flows. Chinese officials are also likely to argue for a more collegial approach, including technical collaboration and intelligence sharing, rather than punitive tariffs.

Although the fentanyl crisis has been a significant focus for the US regarding domestic policy, it is uncertain whether the Biden trade team WOULD agree to modify the tariff approach in the space at a time of domestic election, including amid widespread frustration with Chinese policies.

US and China pause new tariffs for 90 days

If the 90-day cease-fire that was reported comes to pass in Stockholm, it would mark a deliberate halt in one of the longest trade wars of modern times.

The US and China have levied tariffs on more than $700 billion worth of each other’s goods since 2018. The trade war disrupted supply chains worldwide, affected the agriculture and technology industries, and changed how global multinationals arrange their operations.

An interim pause, analysts say, would give businesses that have been ensnared in the crossfire for years a chance to breathe. It would also allow both sides to work on thornier long-term issues like intellectual property protection, digital trade, and forced technology transfers.

The 90-day period is not a permanent solution but a window of opportunity. Its success will depend largely on the political will of both the United States and China to MOVE the negotiations forward or risk renewed tensions.

The timing of the Stockholm meetings is also crucial. The United States is heading into a ferocious election cycle, and neither side may want to appear as if it is soft on trade, for China, where a slowing economy and increasing pressure from domestic industries are probably fueling a more practical approach to diplomacy.

Although there is Optimism about the meeting, experts warn that many core structural issues have yet to be resolved. The truce over tariffs might help defuse tensions, but it is anything but a permanent solution.

What unfolds this week in Stockholm could decide whether the world’s two biggest economies are on a path to rekindled cooperation — or merely deferring the next round of confrontation.

Get seen where it counts. Advertise in Cryptopolitan Research and reach crypto’s sharpest investors and builders.