China announced a significant cut in tariffs on US products worth some $75 billion, local media reported on Thursday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, China’s Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council said tariffs would be cut by half “to promote the healthy and stable development of Sino-US economic and trade relations.”
THE REDUCTION WILL COME INTO EFFECT ON FEB. 14
It said tariffs on some U.S. products would be lowered from 10% to 5% and from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. “China hopes both sides can follow what has been agreed in the [phase one] deal and make efforts to implement relevant parts to boost market confidence, promote bilateral relations, and help world economic growth,” China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
The reduction, which will come into effect on Feb. 14, comes amid Beijing’s battle with a new coronavirus that claimed over 560 lives so far and sparked global concern. The US-China trade war has rattled global markets on fears it could spark a global slowdown.
The tariff cut follows last month’s phase one trade deal that has been hailed as a milestone in efforts to end the over two-year trade war between the world’s top two economies.