The United States and China slashed sweeping tariffs on each others' goods for 90 days on Wednesday, marking a temporary de-escalation in a brutal trade war that roiled global markets and international supply chains.

The president has backtracked repeatedly on his tariff policies, creating a whiplash with downsides and few clear benefits so far.

China and the United States announced a truce in their trade war on Monday after talks in Geneva that will roll back the bulk of tariffs and other countermeasures by Wednesday. The United States is dropping the extra tariffs it imposed on China this year to 30% from 145%,

The first round of the Trump tariffs, which still mimicked traditional trade wars, involved mainly Canada, Mexico and China. The second round began with "reciprocal tariffs," which rely on flawed methodologies and mistaken calculations, covering most trading economies worldwide. Then came the huge U. S. retaliatory tariffs, which China countered.

The prospects for a major breakthrough still appear slight, but even a small drop in tariffs — particularly if taken simultaneously — could help restore some confidence.

The U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day pause in their trade conflict. Here's what China's tariffs on the U.S. looked like in 2024.

The move by the Trump administration to lower tariffs on goods from China to 30% from 120%, still offers limited reprieve for US small businesses, who remain cautious as tariffs are still sky high by historical levels and are also pressuring profits.

When asked to comment on reports that after the China-US high-level economic and trade meeting in Geneva, China will reduce the tariffs on US goods from 125% to 10% within the initial 90 days, while the US will reduce the tariffs on Chinese goods to 30%,