China's Commerce Ministry said Thursday that China and the United States have agreed to roll back some of the tariffs each side imposed on the other's goods during their ongoing trade dispute.
Ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a news briefing if negotiators reach a phase one agreement in trade talks, then both the United States and China should reduce the tariffs by the same amount and at the same time.
The overall size of the reductions, Gao said, would be determined as part of the negotiations.
China and the United States imposed multiple rounds of tariffs on billions of dollars worth of goods.
White House trade advisor Peter Navarro told VOA's Mandarin Service a phase one deal would address some U.S. complaints with China's trade policies, including currency manipulation, forced technology transfers and intellectual property theft, but that an overall trade agreement would have to accomplish more.
Chinese officials have said China follows market rules.
VOA's Mandarin service contributed to this report
