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Comment: US–China hit pause, not peace

11 Nov '25

2 min read

Pic: miss.cabul / Shutterstock.com

Insights

Washington and Beijing's tariff truce, including halving the US “fentanyl-related” surcharge to 10% and China's suspension of retaliatory duties, cools tensions without ending them.
For textiles and apparel, the pause signals a shift towards transparency in landed costs, leaner inventories, and agile sourcing, while Section 301 tariffs and legal uncertainties persist.

This week, Washington and Beijing turned down the temperature, a modest de-escalation that matters for textiles and apparel as much as for macro trade watchers. Following late-October talks, the United States halved its “fentanyl-related” surcharge on Chinese imports to ** per cent with effect from November **. According to US officials, this trims the average reciprocal tariff on Chinese goods to around ** per cent, down from roughly ** per cent.

Beijing, for its part, said it will suspend its additional ** per cent retaliatory tariffs for one year. Both sides have also agreed to shelve new reciprocal port fees over the same period. It is a gesture of restraint rather than reconciliation, as the Section *** tariff stack remains firmly in place.