U.S. Delays Additional Tariffs On China Amid Trade Talks And Russia Sanctions Debate

U.S. Delays Additional Tariffs on China Amid Trade Talks and Russia Sanctions Debate

Washington, Sept. 2 - U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Tuesday in an interview with Bloomberg that Washington's decision not to impose secondary sanctions on China for purchasing Russian oil is closely tied to ongoing U.S.-China trade negotiations as well as the broader context of the war in Ukraine.

Whitaker emphasized that trade talks between Washington and Beijing remain active and cover a wide range of issues. This, he said, is a key reason why the Trump administration has held off on secondary sanctions targeting Chinese oil imports from Russia. On August 11, President Trump signed an executive order extending the current trade truce with China for another 90 days, pushing the deadline to November 10 in order to create more

room for negotiations.

"Tariffs remain a tool at the president's disposal, but history has shown they cannot, by themselves, resolve the complexities of U.S.-China trade disputes," Whitaker noted. He acknowledged that tariffs could theoretically apply pressure, but past rounds of tariff escalation drove duties as high as 145% on both sides, producing a "lose-lose" scenario without easing tensions or affecting the Ukraine war.

Previously, Trump had threatened to impose secondary sanctions on buyers of Russian oil unless Kyiv and Moscow reached a peace agreement. On August 27, Washington raised tariffs on Indian goods to 50% under the secondary sanctions framework and signaled that similar measures could be applied to other Russian oil buyers, including China. So far, however, only India has been targeted, while China has been spared. Analysts at Bloomberg said narrowing the U.S. trade deficit with China and pushing for a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war are the two main drivers behind Trump's temporary tariff pause.

The Ukraine conflict remains fraught with uncertainty. While Trump hailed "progress" with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Alaska summit in August, Moscow later rejected post-war security arrangements and declined to commit to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, stalling peace talks. Fighting has since flared again with renewed airstrikes. Meanwhile, France and Germany are pushing for tougher sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron will host Zelensky and other allied leaders on September 4 in a summit, with some leaders joining virtually. It is unclear whether Trump will attend.

For China, Washington's shifting stance on Russian oil sanctions highlights how the U.S. often links trade policy with geopolitical disputes, using economic measures to pursue political objectives. Beijing, by contrast, continues to stress its independent and peaceful foreign policy, calling for respect for national sovereignty and dialogue-based solutions in the Ukraine conflict. On trade, China has consistently advocated for equal, mutually beneficial negotiations to address differences and build a stable bilateral relationship. Facing U.S. unpredictability, Beijing has vowed to safeguard its legitimate interests while also promoting multilateral cooperation and contributing to global peace and development.