US and China prepare high-level trade talks

President Trump and Xi Jinping are meeting in Washington this week with trade the main axis of talks, officials said. The agenda reportedly spans a potential extension of a US-China trade truce, new limits on chip exports, access to rare earths and commercial stakes in aircraft and electric-vehicle production.

Boeing, chips and EV plants Officials said the two sides are weighing a package that could include a time-limited truce on tariffs, tighter controls on high-end semiconductor shipments, and arrangements affecting rare-earth supply chains. The conversations also cover commercial investments and factory plans tied to US aerospace suppliers and EV manufacturing.

Industry participants said such outcomes would be transactional rather than structural: firms could win market access or investment commitments without far-reaching tariff rollbacks. That approach would aim to protect sensitive technologies while easing trade frictions for specific sectors, officials added.

Officials said a trade truce extension or targeted manufacturing agreements could be announced by Sept. 25. If so, markets and supply chains will focus on whether any accord alters export licensing for advanced chips or includes firm investment timelines for aircraft and EV plants.

A short window of deliverables would leave key questions open, officials said, including enforceability provisions and whether rare-earth arrangements create predictable sourcing paths for manufacturers.