Mnuchin: Next round of trade talks with China this month

WASHINGTON – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says the next round of trade negotiations with China will likely occur later this month in Washington.

Mnuchin told reporters that Vice Premier Liu He was expected to lead a delegation to Washington “later in the month.”

The Treasury secretary says that the partial government shutdown “would have no impact” on the efforts to reach a trade deal by March 1.

The Trump administration has suspended the imposition of planned tariff increases on $200 billion of Chinese goods until March 1 to give negotiators time to reach a wide-ranging agreement.

Mnuchin did not provide a specific date for the talks, but The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources as saying the tentative date for the meeting was Jan. 30-31.