No need to have trade deal with China before 2020 elections: Trump

Washington, September 21

US President Donald Trump has said he does not feel the need to strike a trade agreement with China before the next year’s presidential elections, emphasising that he is looking for a complete and not a “partial deal” with Beijing.

The world’s two largest economies have been locked in a bruising trade war since Trump in March last year imposed tariff hikes of up to 25 per cent on USD 250 billion of Chinese goods.

In response, China, the world’s second largest economy after the US, imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on USD 110 billion of American goods.

“No, I don’t think I need it before the election,” Trump told reporters on Friday at a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison when asked if he felt the need for a trade deal with China before the 2020 presidential elections.

Trump insisted that he was looking for a complete trade deal.

“We are looking for a complete deal. I am not looking for a partial deal,” he said.

“China has been starting to buy our agricultural product. If you noticed over the last week and actually some very big purchases but that is not what I am looking for. We are looking for the big deal. We have taken it to this level,” Trump said. PTI