News September 28, 2026
US & China Identify $60 Billion of Products for Tariff Reductions
Playing cards, flashlights and other select promo items are on a list for possible tariff relief, while core categories weren’t included.
Key Takeaways
• The U.S. and China have identified about $60 billion of goods to be eligible for potential tariff relief.
• Key details remain unclear, and major promo categories like apparel, drinkware and stationery are not currently affected.
The U.S. and China have agreed on tariff reductions covering a combined $60 billion worth of bilateral trade, but key details still remain unclear.
The changes apply to $30 billion in tariffs across 77 Chinese tariff lines imported to the U.S., including some promo products such as playing cards, plates, flashlights, sporting equipment and certain vacuum-insulated containers. Stationery, apparel and most drinkware were absent from the list of identified goods, and existing tariff rates across all categories remain unchanged for now.
The news comes after Chinese President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Donald Trump last week.
It’s not yet clear how much tariffs might be reduced or when any changes might take effect. But U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement that the agreement will improve “market access for about 30% 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.”
The other $30 billion in reductions apply to 1,619 products and items that China imports from the U.S., including corn, wheat, frozen meat, seafood and more.
Greer added that the Trump administration will continue to pursue “fair, balanced and reciprocal trade with China by ensuring compliance with commitments on agricultural and energy purchases, pursuing balanced trade in nonsensitive goods and securing market access for American farmers, manufacturers, businesses and workers.”
The news is the latest in a tit-for-tat trade war between the two countries, which included Trump threatening a 130% tariff on goods imported from China around this time last year. They landed on a tentative trade agreement at the end of 2025, and delayed talks on key topics like China’s proposed rare-earth export restrictions for a year.
Now, nearly a year later, the two countries are seemingly picking up where they left off.
Promo companies import the vast majority of their products from China, and while some suppliers have considered shifting away from the country due to geopolitical challenges, it remains the top country in terms of promo imports. According to ASI Research from 2025, among suppliers that import, 85% say they have promo items shipped from China.