TOKYO, JAPAN – OCTOBER 27: US President Donald Trump deplanes from Air Force One upon arrival at Haneda Airport in Tokyo, October 27, 2025.
Takashi Aoyama | Getty Images News | Getty Images
US President Donald Trump said he expects to lower fentanyl tariffs on China ahead of his much-anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea this week.
The president told reporters Wednesday aboard Air Force One that fentanyl entering the United States and “farmers” will be among the topics he plans to discuss with Xi on Thursday.
Asked if a one-year suspension of China’s rare earth export restrictions would be enough to wring further concessions from the United States, Trump said: “We haven’t talked about the timing yet, but we’re going to work something out.”
The comments followed a Wall Street Journal report on Tuesday that said the United States could cut in half its 20% fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese exports in exchange for Beijing’s crackdown on exports of the chemicals used to make fentanyl.
President Trump said he didn’t know if Taiwan would be on the agenda, saying, “I don’t know if I’m going to talk about Taiwan. I might want to ask about Taiwan. I don’t really hear about Taiwan.”
The meeting between the two leaders came amid heightened bilateral tensions in recent weeks, with Beijing tightening restrictions on rare earth exports and Washington retaliating with port fees on Chinese ships and threatening software-related export restrictions.
President Trump is expected to meet with President Xi on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, concluding his week-long trip to Asia. The president began a whirlwind tour of Asia on Sunday, signing a flurry of trade and mineral deals with Southeast Asian leaders and, most recently, with Japan.
President Trump said his relationship with China is “very good” and said he would “have a great meeting with President Xi of China.”
