US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have moved to ease tariffs covering $60 billion in two-way trade and established a new dialogue on advanced artificial intelligence, marking the first concrete economic and technology outcomes from Xi's state visit to Washington on 27 September 2026. The agreements signal a measured thaw in US-China relations after months of escalating trade friction.

The Tariff Deal

A White House fact sheet stated that the US-China Board of Trade had reached consensus on recommendations for 'more favourable tariff treatment' covering $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction. China's official account used stronger language, describing an 'arrangement for a 30-billion-US-dollar reciprocal tariff reduction' and saying both leaders had directed officials to implement it.

Neither side disclosed the proposed tariff rates, the size of the reductions, or a timeline for implementation. American goods covered by the recommendations include agricultural products, fish and seafood, logs and wood products, cosmetics, and medical devices. Chinese goods covered include small appliances, toys, holiday decorations, and children's car seats.

Energy and Agriculture Commitments

The White House separately disclosed that China would import at least 10 million metric tonnes of US coal in 2027 and at least another 10 million tonnes in 2028. Notably, that commitment did not appear in China's own published list of summit outcomes, underscoring the divergence in how each side is characterising the results. The Board of Trade also created a working group to address barriers facing agricultural trade — a long-running point of contention between the two economies.

Rare earths remain unresolved. Washington said both countries were continuing to work on American concerns about shortages of rare earths and other critical minerals, with the goal of restoring shipments to 'appropriate levels.' China's official statement made no mention of the issue.

A New AI Dialogue

Technology featured prominently in the summit's outcomes. Trump and Xi agreed to use the term 'super intelligence' rather than 'artificial intelligence' for the category of emerging technologies covered by their discussions — a framing notable for its ambition. They established a US-China Super Intelligence Dialogue to exchange views on the benefits and risks of the technology, with the next exchange due by November 2026. The two countries will also create a bilateral communication channel specifically for incidents involving advanced AI systems.

China referred to the mechanism as the China-US AI Dialogue. President Xi said, 'AI must be kept under human control.' The divergence in naming — 'Super Intelligence Dialogue' versus 'AI Dialogue' — reflects the broader pattern of each side messaging its domestic audience differently.

Broader Geopolitical Signals

Beyond economics and technology, the leaders agreed to pursue a 'constructive relationship of strategic stability' grounded in respect, fairness, and reciprocity. Their discussions also covered Iran, Russia, and North Korea. The White House said both leaders agreed that Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon and that no country or institution should impose tolls on international waterways.

Xi, according to China's Foreign Ministry, said: 'Cooperation is a two-way street. To keep the economic and trade ties stable, the list of cooperation needs to be lengthened, and the list of issues shortened.' The two presidents plan to meet again at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen in November and the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Miami in December. The US-China Board of Investment, chartered at the Beijing summit in May, was formally put into operation during the Washington visit and will serve as a regular channel for commercially significant investment disputes.