Trump postpones the deadline for negotiating tariffs with China by 90 days.

WashingtonA new setback from Donald Trump under the guise of supposed clemency. The US president has signed an executive order postponing the deadline for negotiating tariffs with China by 90 days, which was due to expire this Tuesday. The order has not yet been published, but White House officials have confirmed to Reuters and the Wall Street Journal his signature. Unlike other measures, which the president trumpets from the Oval Office and his Truth Social profile, the US administration is keeping a low profile with the extension of the truce.

For now, tariffs on Chinese goods remain at 30%, as agreed upon during the initial negotiations in Switzerland in the spring. The figure includes the 10% base rate and 20% as punishment for fentanyl trafficking. In addition, levies on specific products, such as the 50% on steel imports, are also maintained.

The current pause is preventing the trade war that Trump started with China in April from fully exploding. The US president decided to start inflating the figure in the face of Beijing's insistence on giving in until it reached its ceiling: Washington taxed the Chinese at 145%, and they responded with 125%. Now, both figures will remain in limbo until November.

The deadline for the Asian giant has been extended to a time similar to that of Mexico, which is until October. Both countries are among the few exceptions after Trump's global tariffs went into effect last week, both those negotiated before the deadline (such as the 15% tariff on the EU) and unilateral ones (such as the 25% tariff on India, which has now risen to 50%). The reason both China and Mexico appear to enjoy special treatment from Washington is that taxes on their imports can have a significant impact on the US economy.