Trump says U.S., China talking over tariffs

President Trump said officials from China have reached out “a number of times” since the tariff war between the U.S. and China began.

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office Thursday whether China has been in contact with his administration since the high tariffs were placed on Beijing, Mr. Trump said, “Oh sure, a lot.”

“A lot. All the time. We’re talking,” he said, but declined to say if he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping personally.

“We will talk about that soon. It’s not that important because honestly we’re going to have a deal,” he said. “I believe we’re going to have a deal with China and if we don’t, we’re going to have a deal anyway, because we’re gonna set a certain target and that’s going to be it.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the U.S.’s tariff policy “around the world has every country in the world coming in and talking to us.”

“It is incredible. We had country after country in yesterday,” Mr. Lutnick said. “We are confident that we will work out something with China and the president knows what he wants to do, and I think he knows better than anybody else in the world and we are confident this is going to work out well.”

He said these tariffs will work out for U.S. “farmers, for our ranchers, for our fishermen, for our businesses.”

“The scale of companies coming to America…the scale of factories coming to America is mind boggling, driven by Donald Trump’s tariff policy which has got the world coming and finally respecting the United States of America,” Mr. Lutnick said.

Asked if he believes China won’t go higher than the 125% tariffs on American goods, and what happens if they do, Mr. Trump said, “Well in a certain point I don’t want them to go higher because at a certain point you make it where people don’t buy.”