THE United States is expected to delay announcing new tariffs targeting trading partners over excess manufacturing capacity until after next week’s planned summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to people familiar with the matter.
The administration had earlier been expected to release a trade report on excess capacity before the meeting, with Bloomberg reporting that the report would recommend a 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods.
Bloomberg reported on Friday that the reason for the delay was unclear, while it also remains uncertain whether the final tariff rate will differ from the previously expected level.
The new levy would bring Trump’s second-term tariffs on Chinese goods to about 20%, a level Beijing has previously said is consistent with its trade truce with Washington.
The Trump administration in March launched a Section 301 investigation into more than a dozen major trading partners over concerns about excess manufacturing capacity.
The expected levies, together with duties already imposed over forced labour, are eventually expected to bring tariff rates closer to the country-specific duties imposed by Trump that were overturned by the US Supreme Court earlier this year.
The Office of the US Trade Representative and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Inside US Trade first reported the delay.
US and Chinese officials are expected to discuss several issues during the summit, including the war in Iran, trade and artificial intelligence. - September 18, 2026
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