Beijing, China - Trade frictions caused by President Donald Trump's tariff war will take center stage next week when the US leader meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House.

Although a shaky truce was reached last October that halted the frenzied, escalating tariff battle launched by Trump, a comprehensive and permanent trade deal has never been reached.

Ahead of next week's summit in Washington, tolls are now imposed by both sides in a complex patchwork of sector-specific policies.

The effective tariff rate for imports from China, which balances various duties paid across all items, was 22.8% as of July, the highest among all major US trading partners, according to research organization the Penn Wharton Budget Model.

Donald Trump Trump admin. says Venezuela is boosting anti-drug cooperation since capture of Maduro

Among the highest effective tariff rates for Chinese goods heading to the US are 40.5% on steel and aluminum.

Meanwhile, China maintains a 10% levy on all US goods, with additional rates applicable in other specific sectors, such as 15% on liquid natural gas.

When it comes to trade, turbulence has become the name of the game under Trump's leadership.

Despite that, total imports and exports hit $400.8 billion in January through August this year, Chinese customs data shows, a 5.4% rise from the same period in 2025.

The balance is lopsided, however, with Chinese exports accounting for 75% of that number. This will likely be a sticking point for Washington.

Trump told reporters on Sunday that he would be using next week's meeting to discuss "almost everything" with Xi. This means that the two leaders will touch not only on trade, but on the war with Iran, artificial intelligence, and various ongoing security concerns.

Tariffs, however, are "the main issue on the agenda," Dan Wang, a director on Eurasia Group's China team, told AFP. "Xi wouldn't go if there were no deliverables on tariffs or a trade truce."