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China Pushes Back on New U.S. Tariffs During Trade Meetings in France

Published: Mar. 17, 2026 11:57 a.m. GMT+8

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Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ahead of trade talks in Paris on March 15. Photo: Peng Ziyang/China News Service

Chinese and U.S. economic leaders met for trade consultations in France on March 15 and March 16, resulting in new agreements aimed at stabilizing bilateral relations amid a dispute over Washington’s recent tariff actions.

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The negotiators conducted “candid, in-depth and constructive” discussions focused on tariff arrangements, boosting trade and investment, and upholding previous agreements, according to state-run Xinhua News Agency.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

Chinese and U.S. economic leaders met in France on March 15–16, 2024, reaching new agreements to stabilize bilateral relations amid tariff disputes.
Talks addressed tariffs, trade and investment, and previous agreements; both sides agreed to reduce friction and resolve differences through consultations.
Officials plan to create a cooperative mechanism to boost trade and investment and continue using the joint trade consultation framework for dialogue.

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What Happened When

By 2025：: Five rounds of trade negotiations between Chinese and U.S. officials were successfully conducted (referred to as 'last year' from a 2026 perspective).

After a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (before March 2026)：: A U.S. Supreme Court ruling deemed tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act illegal.

After the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (before March 2026)：: Washington levied a 10% import surcharge on all trading partners under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.