The U.S.-China Board of Trade has recommended reduced tariff treatment for roughly $30 billion of imports in each direction — about $60 billion in bilateral trade — the Trump Administration announced Sunday, Sept. 28, 2026.

The proposal covers non-sensitive goods. On the U.S.-bound side, that means household goods and toys — categories where China sourcing dominates and American importers have few alternative origins. On the China-bound side, the White House framed the benefit around agricultural products and medical devices.

"From agricultural products to medical devices, President Trump is unlocking improved market access for about 30 percent of U.S. exports to China, while benefiting consumers with imports from China of household goods, toys, and other products that the United States generally does not import from other countries," U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.

What the recommendation does not specify

The White House documentation omits the two numbers distributors and importers need most: the size of the tariff reductions and the implementation date.

Future duty cuts for the covered U.S. import list and China import list "will be determined and implemented in accordance with each side's domestic legal processes," according to the framework's terms of reference document. That language leaves open whether Washington will run a public comment period on the product lists before reductions take effect.

Wendy Cutler, senior vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, flagged the gap in a LinkedIn post: "The White House document is vague on when consumers may see these tariff cuts in the store. Both sides need to go through their domestic procedures. Unclear if this means for the US seeking public comments on the product list, although the way the document is written it doesn't seem to be very open to revisions."

For distributors carrying Chinese-sourced household goods and toys, the announcement is a direction of travel, not a landed cost change. Landed-cost models, pricing decisions and inventory commitments tied to current duty rates remain speculative until each government finalizes reductions through its own process.

How the board works

The Board of Trade, first announced in May 2026, comprises government officials from both countries, including U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and He Lifeng, China's Vice Premier of the State Council. Its stated mission is to "optimize bilateral trade."

Deputies for Greer, Bessent and Lifeng hold regular meetings and can submit proposals to board leaders for consideration, per the working procedures document. Deputies from both countries will monitor and assess bilateral trade in the products covered by Sunday's announcement, and the terms of reference leave room to expand favorable tariff treatment to additional items over time — a mechanism that could widen the relief corridor beyond the initial $60 billion if both sides choose.

Diplomatic context

The recommendation followed Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to the White House last week — including his Sept. 25 tour with President Trump — and came days after the two countries extended a trade truce that had been set to expire in November by another two months.

With tariff amounts, product-list finality and effective dates all still subject to domestic procedures on both sides, the earliest measurable impact on import costs and retail pricing will depend on how quickly each government moves from recommendation to regulation.