Mnuchin on US-China trade talks: We are getting ‘into the final laps’

“We’re getting into the final laps,” Mnuchin told The New York Times on the sidelines of the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.

“I think both sides have a desire to reach an agreement,” he added. “We’ve made a lot of progress.”

{mosads}Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are heading to Beijing this week in hopes of finalizing a deal to end the extended economic dispute.

Last year, President Trump imposed steep tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese imports in a bid to pressure Beijing on a range of issues including intellectual property and technology transfer.

The two nations exchanged tit-for-tat tariffs throughout 2018, but have been engaged in trade talks this year, most recently with negotiators from both sides meeting several times.

Trump said last week that Chinese President Xi Jinping could soon be visiting the U.S., signaling to some that negotiations could be reaching their close.

Mnuchin declined to discuss specifics about the timing of a deal with the Times.