Trump Presses Xi on Trade in China Meetings After Supreme Court Tariff Setback

Trade took center stage in President Donald Trump's meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, after a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year curbed his tariff plans.

A White House official told pool reporters early Thursday that President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi. The two sides discussed ways to increase economic cooperation, including greater market access for American businesses in China and more Chinese investment in U.S. industries.

The discussions followed a Supreme Court decision that limited Trump's use of emergency powers to impose tariffs, a key method for pressuring Beijing. Trump has argued that such duties are needed to secure fairer trade terms, while China has resisted. The ruling came during a yearslong U.S.-China tariff dispute between the world's two largest economies.

Trump posted to Truth Social on May 12 that he would ask Xi, a leader of extraordinary distinction, to open up China. He said brilliant people could help lift the People's Republic to a higher level, and promised to make it his first request during their meeting hours later.

After Trump arrived in China on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning wrote on X Thursday that President Xi told Trump trade wars have no winners. She said U.S.-China economic ties are mutually beneficial and win-win, and that equal-footed consultation is the right way to handle disagreements.

Tariffs defined Trump's first-term China strategy, when he hit Chinese imports with duties and Beijing fired back with its own. A core part of his America First agenda, the approach aims to address trade deficits by holding other countries accountable.

One of Trump's early moves after returning to office was the Liberation Day tariffs in April 2025, meant to aid negotiations and raise revenue. But in a 6-3 ruling in February, the Supreme Court struck down his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act for tariffs, even after a national emergency declaration.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh dissented, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. Trump criticized Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, his first-term nominees, for siding with the majority. He posted to Truth Social on Sunday that the ruling cost the U.S. $159 billion, and said he expected loyalty to the country.

Trump has turned to other tools, like Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, though it is temporary and faces legal challenges. A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the administration also eyes Section 301 to counter unfair foreign trade practices. That tool survived past court tests, the spokesperson said.

Trump's 2017 China visit yielded over $250 billion in announced deals and pledges, but trade ties soured in 2018 anyway. This week's talks follow a fresh tariff fight that started with fentanyl-related duties on Chinese goods in February, led to broader retaliation, and now heads toward possible temporary truces.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer outlined goals for the state visit last month on Fox News' My View with Lara Trump. He said priorities include steady rare earth supplies for U.S. manufacturing, continued Chinese purchases of American agriculture, airplanes and other goods, and stability for the next six months to a year.