China commerce ministry says the sooner U.S. tariffs are lifted, the sooner consumers will benefit

BEIJING – China’s commerce ministry said the sooner U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods are lifted, the sooner consumers and companies will benefit, ministry spokesperson Shu Jueting told a news conference on Thursday.

Removing all additional tariffs on Chinese goods will benefit China, the U.S. and the world, Shu said, adding that the two countries should create conditions for economic and trade cooperation.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Wednesday said that removing the tariffs would likely have a limited effect on controlling short-term inflation.

(Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Ryan Woo; editing by John Stonestreet)