US and China to sign phase one trade deal Jan. 15

President Trump said he will sign the so-called “phase one” trade deal recently reached between the U.S. and China at the White House on Jan. 15. He added in a Dec. 31 tweet that he will be traveling to Beijing “at a later date” to begin “Phase Two” of trade negotiations with China.

The president and U.S. trade officials Robert Lighthizer, Steven Mnuchin, Peter Navarro and Larry Kudlow finalized the phase one deal at the White House on Dec. 12. Details of the trade deal remain limited, but Trump agreed to halt the imposition of another round of tariffs on an estimated $160 billion in Chinese imports that was scheduled for Dec. 15. The Chinese government agreed to boost imports of U.S. agricultural products.