US, China detail $30bn tariff-cut lists

The United States and China have outlined a reciprocal tariff arrangement that will affect about US$30 billion of imports from each country. Both sides released product lists identifying which goods would benefit from reduced tariffs once the deal takes effect. The move represents a structured attempt to lower trade barriers on a defined basket of products rather than across-the-board reductions.

On the U.S. side, the list for goods entering the the American market contains 77 tariff entries. These entries span a variety of consumer and other products, though the detailed composition is contained in official tariff schedules rather than in broad sector totals. For China-bound exports, documents show a list of 1,619 U.S. goods proposed for inclusion under the arrangement.

China has indicated that about 90% of the products covered by the reciprocal arrangement will have their tariffs reduced to most-favoured-nation (MFN) rates. MFN status generally signifies that a trading partner receives the same tariff treatment as a country’s other major partners under standard schedules. However, neither government has released precise revised tariff levels for the individual product lines included in the lists.

An implementation timetable has also not been disclosed. Both governments have stated that any tariff reductions will only become effective after completion of their respective domestic legal and regulatory procedures. This leaves the timing of the actual tariff relief uncertain, even as companies gain some clarity on which products may ultimately benefit.

The documents listing 1,619 U.S. goods eligible for reduced tariffs in China cover a wide range of products. At the same time, U.S. soybeans (S1) are specifically excluded from China’s tariff-reduction list. Soybeans (S1) continue to face an additional 10% tariff, based on material from China’s Commerce Ministry.

The continued higher tariffs on soybeans contrast with the broader move toward MFN rates for most other products in the arrangement. This carve-out suggests that, within the overall package, some politically or economically sensitive items are being treated differently from the majority of covered goods.

Beyond tariff schedules, the framework also includes volume commitments in specific commodities. China has agreed to import at least 10 million metric tons of U.S. coal in 2027 and another 10 million metric tons in 2028. These commitments sit alongside the tariff lists as an additional element of the bilateral package.

The coal purchases are framed as part of the same broader effort to manage trade relations through a combination of tariff adjustments and targeted import commitments. Together with the product lists, they form the first concrete deliverables under a new trade-focused channel between the two countries, intended to support ongoing discussions on market access and tariff issues.