No one knows whether new tariffs will hit Chinese goods this weekend, after Trump disputes report of trade deal

published 13 December 2019

Just when you think you know what's going on in Washington, President Trump throws another wrench into the works.

While The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the Trump administration had reached a limited trade deal with China, supposedly agreeing to cancel new tariff hikes and roll back existing tariffs on some Chinese goods, Trump tweeted Friday the story was "completely wrong, especially their statement on tariffs."

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Now, it's completely unclear what the deal includes, or if there's even a deal at all. Trump did promise a trade deal was "very close" on Thursday morning, but that's something he's said repeatedly without any agreement actually materializing. As CBS News' Weijia Jiang noted, its hard to know what to expect, especially since the White House hasn't offered any official clarification. Chinese officials aren't talking either, and local sources are calling it a "delicate situation," which should surely reassure investors. Summer Meza

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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