| 

Comment: US–China hit pause, not peace

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.