US-China Board of Trade launched; tariff rollback signals ahead
Following President Trump's May 2026 state visit to China, the US and China have established a U.S.-China Board of Trade focused on "non-sensitive goods" trade. China has re-registered US meat facilities, agreed to review biotech traits, and committed to purchasing 200 Boeings and double-digit billions in agricultural products annually over three years. The administration reports a 33% ($130 billion) year-on-year reduction in the US-China trade deficit. While no specific tariff changes are announced in this release, the Board's stated focus on facilitating bilateral trade in designated categories signals potential relief from Section 301 duties on selected goods.
Photo: Baset Alhasan / PexelsUS and China Establish Board of Trade, Signal Tariff-Management Framework
Following the May 2026 U.S.-China Summit in Beijing, the Trump administration announced the establishment of a U.S.-China Board of Trade and secured what Ambassador Jamieson Greer characterized as "historic deals" on agricultural, aerospace, and biotechnology exports. The Board will be "focused on trade in non-sensitive goods," marking the first formal bilateral trade governance mechanism between the two countries under this administration.
Market Access Wins and Purchase Commitments
China has already taken concrete steps to reduce non-tariff barriers on US agricultural products:
"We had a number of meat exporting facilities in the U.S. that had been deregistered by the Chinese. The Chinese have already moved to re-register them, which means that they can export to China." — Ambassador Greer, This Week with George Stephanopoulos
Agriculture commitments include:
- Soybeans: 25 million metric tons (agreed October 2025)
- Meat & poultry: Chinese re-registration of US facilities, plus review of biotechnology traits for approved agricultural goods
- Double-digit billion-dollar purchases annually over the next three years
Aerospace and other sectors secured orders for 200 Boeings, described as "the first major purchase by China in almost 10 years."
Trade Deficit Reduction and Domestic Manufacturing
The administration cited a 33% reduction ($130 billion) in the year-on-year US-China trade deficit, attributing the decline to diversification away from Chinese suppliers and increased domestic manufacturing. Ambassador Greer stated:
"We're seeing manufacturing indicators and manufacturing labor indicators increase in the United States." — Ambassador Greer, Bloomberg
The administration also highlighted price declines in US staples (dairy, cheese, flour) as a result of trade rebalancing.
How the Board Will Operate
The US intends to solicit public comment before finalizing the Board's scope. The framework focuses on identifying goods where "we think we should be selling them things [and] think we should be buying from them," according to Greer. No specific tariff cuts or Section 301 duty suspensions are detailed in this announcement, but the Board's stated mission to "facilitate trade" in non-sensitive categories implies future negotiations over duty relief.
What this means for shippers
Watch for the USTR's forthcoming public-comment period on the Board of Trade's mandate—this will define which HS chapters qualify for tariff relief versus which remain subject to Section 301 duties. Mark your calendars: exporters selling agricultural products, aircraft parts, and biotech goods to China should prepare tariff-classification documentation and landed-cost calculations now, as duty rates for selected categories may shift within months. Non-compliance with evolving "non-sensitive goods" definitions could disqualify shipments from preferential treatment.
