Washington and Beijing Establish New Trade Boards to Manage Agricultural and Investment Disputes

Mintesinot Niggusie

The United States and China have agreed to create new institutional frameworks aimed at addressing trade tensions, alongside a multi-year commitment by Beijing to purchase at least 17 billion US dollars of American agricultural products, according to a White House fact sheet released on Sunday.

The agreement was reached during discussions last week between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House said.

Under the arrangement, China will buy a minimum of 17 billion US dollars worth of US agricultural goods in 2026, 2027 and 2028, as part of efforts to stabilise trade flows between the world’s two largest economies.

The deal also includes commitments from Beijing to work with US regulators to lift suspensions on American beef processing facilities. It will further resume imports of poultry from US states that are certified as free of avian influenza, according to the statement.

In addition to the agricultural commitments, both sides agreed to establish a US-China Board of Trade and a US-China Board of Investment. The new bodies are intended to provide structured channels for resolving market access issues and investment-related concerns.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the mechanisms would help expand trade under a reciprocal tariff-reduction framework, according to remarks cited in the White House statement.

The agreements come as Washington and Beijing seek to manage longstanding disputes over tariffs, market access and regulatory barriers, particularly in the agricultural sector, which has remained a central component of bilateral trade relations.