(Tariffs) between Washington and Beijing Escalate Again: Trump-Xi Call Fails

US President Donald Trump said it is “very difficult” to reach an agreement with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, dampening hopes of a phone call between the two leaders as trade talks falter.

“I like President Xi Jinping of China, always have, always will, but he is very tough, and it’s very difficult to make a deal with him!!!” Trump wrote on the Truth Social website, as reported by international media. Yahoo Finance reported: The détente between the United States and China—reached in mid-May in Geneva, when each country eased its steep tariffs on the other—appears to be more fragile amid trade and other tensions.

Each side has traded accusations of violating this truce. Trump’s remarks to Xi come as the United States urges countries to accelerate trade talks. The White House confirmed that the United States had sent a letter to its partners as a “friendly reminder” that Trump’s self-imposed 90-day pause on comprehensive “reciprocal” tariffs would expire in early July. White House advisers have been promising for weeks that trade deals would be concluded in the “not-too-distant future,” with the only agreement announced so far being with the United Kingdom. Furthermore, the term “Trump always chickens out TACO,” coined by a Financial Times columnist, has been coined, referring to his rollback of some tariffs with several countries. However, Trump has consistently maintained that his goal is to strengthen the American economy.