De Minimis Tax Exemption · Full chronicle and history

Data from the General Administration of Customs of China shows that China's exports of rare earth magnets to the U.S. in August fell 21% from July to 512 tons. Ahead of a meeting between Trump and Xi, outside analysts suggest the Chinese side may use the expansion of rare earth exports as a negotiating chip. In addition, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held a meeting on trade and artificial intelligence issues, and both sides agreed to further consultations.

According to The New York Times on September 21, Xi Jinping will meet Trump in Washington this week, and the summit is expected to focus on continuing the trade truce and managing differences over Taiwan, artificial intelligence, and other issues.

According to reports on September 21, Chinese state-owned enterprises ordered about 260,000 tons of U.S. soybeans last week, scheduled for shipment between December and next January, bringing total purchases for the current marketing season to nearly 13 million tons.

On September 20, China and the US held 8-hour economic and trade talks in New York. The two sides announced the establishment of an AI dialogue mechanism and a new bilateral trade mechanism, but the US side made it clear that export controls on advanced AI chips and semiconductor equipment are not on the negotiating agenda.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold talks at the White House on September 24. This will be the second face-to-face meeting between the two heads of state this year, drawing attention from bipartisan lawmakers in Congress regarding national security, trade, human rights, Iran, and other issues.

The White House confirmed to the media on September 17 that Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to the White House on September 24. President Trump will personally go to Joint Base Andrews at 4:00 PM on the 23rd to welcome him and will host a state dinner at the White House.

It was reported on September 15 that Beijing planned to seek an extension of the US-China trade truce until the end of Trump's term ahead of the Trump-Xi meeting on September 24. However, due to China's failure to fully fulfill its rare earth export commitments, the US side was only willing to renew it for 6 months and demanded that China ease its rare earth restrictions on Japan.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with 262 votes in favor and 159 against, authorizing the imposition of tariffs on countries that are top purchasers of Russian energy. These countries could face tariffs of up to 100 percent. The bill was introduced by the Republican Party, with 58 Democratic representatives supporting it and 7 Republican representatives voting against it. After passing, the bill was sent to the White House and still requires the President's signature. The relevant measures affect countries that purchase Russian energy, such as China and India.

According to a Bloomberg report on September 14, as the U.S. and Chinese heads of state are expected to meet in late September, China purchased at least 1 million tons of U.S. soybeans last week, bringing total purchases to over half of its annual commitment. China Gas also signed a 20-year liquefied natural gas purchase agreement, though tensions between the U.S. and China persist in areas such as AI and arms sales to Taiwan.

US Vice President J.D. Vance said on September 14 that he hopes to ensure wise AI regulation while maintaining America's leading position.

Trump said on September 13 that Chinese cars will continue to be barred.

On September 13, when asked about the progress of the Boeing aircraft deal, Trump stated that he would finalize the transaction.

A netizen from Zhejiang shared a video of sisters reuniting at an airport. The younger sister grew up in Taiwan, while the older sister was raised as a child bride in mainland China, with a six-year age gap. The video prompted netizens to compare living conditions across the Strait and interpret the words and actions of the elders.

President Trump said on September 4 that the United States leads China in the field of AI, emphasizing that this is a competition between the two countries.

On September 3, when asked whether China is cooperating in economically isolating Iran, Vice President JD Vance stated that China is willing to cooperate and is more responsible than Iran and some other countries.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Bastian said the talks with China on artificial intelligence, trade and other issues were very successful, and both sides agreed to establish an AI dialogue mechanism and plan to meet again.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit the United States soon. US President Trump stated he looks forward to meeting with Xi, noting that they have a very good relationship despite the two countries being competitors.

White House officials stated that President Trump will host a state dinner for Xi Jinping, personally greet him at Joint Base Andrews, and hold a welcoming ceremony.

Regarding the situation in Iran, US media recently cited officials reporting that Chinese entities may have provided satellite images of the US military base in Jordan to Iran.

Experts point out that the U.S. President may be more focused on the trade and economic aspects of bilateral relations, and hopes to consolidate a more sustainable, balanced, and fair approach to trade. This may involve tariffs and their countermeasures.

Experts believe that the Chinese side hopes to ease export controls and seek more opportunities to obtain U.S. technology and cooperation. At the same time, both sides are interested in establishing a sustainable dialogue mechanism on the risks and security issues posed by artificial intelligence development.

Experts point out that China hopes to make progress or secure stronger commitments on core interest issues such as Taiwan, the South China Sea, and Tibet, and hopes to better understand the U.S. commitment to its allies.

Expert analysis suggests that this Trump-Xi meeting could be one of four face-to-face encounters between the two sides this year, provided they can meet at the G20 and APEC summits. The meeting itself is seen as an important way to add stability to bilateral relations.

In May of this year, after visiting China and meeting with Xi Jinping, President Trump announced that China had agreed to purchase two hundred Boeing aircraft, with the total number of future orders potentially increasing to seven hundred and fifty.

On October 9, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce of China announced the strictest rare earth export control measures to date, and Trump immediately announced an additional 100% tariff on China; after a ceasefire was reached in early November, China suspended the measure.

April 10, 2025, the White House clarified that the newly imposed 125% “reciprocal tariff” on China, combined with the previously imposed 20% tariff due to fentanyl, brings US tariffs on most Chinese goods to a total of 145%.