<p>US and Chinese officials are working on a deal to postpone tariffs set to hit Chinese imports in five days, according to a media report on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Delaying the new duties, which cover about $160 billion in imports from China, including consumer favorites like mobile phones, could help reassure markets the two sides are making progress towards ending their trade war.</p>.<p>Officials in Washington and Beijing say they now expect to continue talking beyond December 15, when the tariffs are due to kick in, according to The Wall Street Journal.</p>.<p>US officials have reiterated that any final decision on the tariffs belongs to President Donald Trump.</p>.<p>At a Wall Street Journal conference on Tuesday, top White House economic aide Larry Kudlow maintained that "those tariffs are still on the table," the newspaper reported.</p>.<p>Kudlow had said Friday a deal was "still close."</p>.<p>For two months, the two sides have struggled to finalize a partial deal that Trump announced in October.</p>.<p>Statements by US officials have run hot and cold in recent days, with markets swooning last week after Trump said a deal could wait until after next year's elections.</p>.<p>Trump launched his trade war in March 2018, demanding that China end practices widely seen as unfair -- such as forced transfer of American technology from US companies, and massive subsidies given to Chinese firms.</p>.<p>But observers say Beijing is highly unlikely to make the kind of profound changes to the structure of its economy sought by Washington, which could politically undermine the Communist Party.</p>.<p>Trump also has sought pledges from Beijing to make enormous purchases of US farm exports that experts say may exceed demand in China, and the capacity of US farmers.</p>.<p>Should the December 15 tariffs take effect, the last in a series punitive duties, virtually all the merchandise the United States imports annually from China will be covered by punitive tariffs.</p>
<p>US and Chinese officials are working on a deal to postpone tariffs set to hit Chinese imports in five days, according to a media report on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Delaying the new duties, which cover about $160 billion in imports from China, including consumer favorites like mobile phones, could help reassure markets the two sides are making progress towards ending their trade war.</p>.<p>Officials in Washington and Beijing say they now expect to continue talking beyond December 15, when the tariffs are due to kick in, according to The Wall Street Journal.</p>.<p>US officials have reiterated that any final decision on the tariffs belongs to President Donald Trump.</p>.<p>At a Wall Street Journal conference on Tuesday, top White House economic aide Larry Kudlow maintained that "those tariffs are still on the table," the newspaper reported.</p>.<p>Kudlow had said Friday a deal was "still close."</p>.<p>For two months, the two sides have struggled to finalize a partial deal that Trump announced in October.</p>.<p>Statements by US officials have run hot and cold in recent days, with markets swooning last week after Trump said a deal could wait until after next year's elections.</p>.<p>Trump launched his trade war in March 2018, demanding that China end practices widely seen as unfair -- such as forced transfer of American technology from US companies, and massive subsidies given to Chinese firms.</p>.<p>But observers say Beijing is highly unlikely to make the kind of profound changes to the structure of its economy sought by Washington, which could politically undermine the Communist Party.</p>.<p>Trump also has sought pledges from Beijing to make enormous purchases of US farm exports that experts say may exceed demand in China, and the capacity of US farmers.</p>.<p>Should the December 15 tariffs take effect, the last in a series punitive duties, virtually all the merchandise the United States imports annually from China will be covered by punitive tariffs.</p>