The First Day of US-China Customs Tariff Talks in Geneva Has Ended! Here’s Everything You Need to Know

The first day of negotiations aimed at ending the trade war between the US and China concluded with marathon talks lasting about eight hours in Geneva. According to sources close to the discussions, negotiations will continue on Sunday.

The US delegation was led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, while the Chinese side was represented by close aides of President Xi Jinping. It was reported that China's economic official He Lifeng, as well as Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong, were also part of the delegation.

The meetings, which started around 10 AM local time on Saturday, ended without any agreement being announced. While some officials left the meeting early, Bessent and Greer continued the discussions for at least another hour, negotiating with the remaining Chinese officials. The US and Chinese delegations are expected to have dinner together at the meeting venue.

Discussions took place at the residence of Switzerland's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. Delegations attending the meeting, which was held under strict security measures, were brought to the venue in black-windowed vehicles. Numerous security personnel, including those from the U.S. Secret Service, were deployed in the area.

China's official news agency Xinhua described Saturday's meetings as "an important step towards resolving the dispute between the two major powers." There has not yet been an official statement from the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump recently raised the tariffs imposed on China to 145%. The Beijing administration retaliated with a 125% tariff on American products. However, in recent statements, Trump indicated that tariffs would not increase beyond this level, suggesting that a downward trend could begin. On Friday, he signaled that he might reduce the tariffs to 80%. Later that evening, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick stated in an interview with Fox News that President Trump would largely maintain the "reciprocal" tariffs on China, but that the rate could decline to around 34%.

According to officials, Trump's 80% proposal being shared with the public may serve as a message for Bessent to approach an agreement with the Chinese delegation. There is great curiosity about whether concrete progress can be made on the second day of talks.