Simon Jack
Business editor

The news that the US and China will roll back the majority of the swingeing tariffs imposed on each other, at least temporarily, has given stock markets a boost and seen the value of safe haven assets like gold fall.

The benchmark S&P 500 share index in the US is now expected to open above the level it was the day before Donald Trump rocked the world financial system with a universal tariff of 10% and very steep so-called reciprocal tariffs on high exporting countries in Asia.

The 90-day pause that was announced very quickly after markets - including the safe harbour of US government bonds - plunged saw markets recover just over half their losses.

Those losses in US shares will have been fully reversed if markets open in the US at the level they have been trading overnight in Asia.

But some investors are privately concerned that the bounce back in shares is overly optimistic given that trade still has, and will continue to have, significantly more friction, cost and risk.

Danish shipping giant Maersk says the US-China agreement to pause tariffs for 90 days is a step in the right direction.

Shares in Maersk traded 12.9% higher as of 09:48 GMT (10:48 BST).

The firm says it hopes the deal "can lay the foundation for the parties to also reach a permanent deal that can create the long-term predictability our customers need".

"Right now, our customers have gotten 90 days of clarity with reduced tariffs, and we are working hard to help them make the best use of this window," it adds.

Nick Edser
Business reporter

Image source, EPA

Stock markets have welcomed news of the agreement between the US and China as investors hope that a global trade war can be averted.

Hong Kong's benchmark Hang Seng Index was still trading when the announcement was made, and jumped on the news, ending the day up 3%.

European stock markets are also higher and early indications are that the main US stock markets will open up by more than 2%.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, says the agreement is "a major breakthrough" as far as investors are concerned and has been welcomed "with open arms".

“Some people thought the best-case outcome from the weekend’s discussions would be an agreement to simply keep talks going," he tells me.

"Therefore, to have reached an initial deal so quickly and one that rolls back tariffs by a large amount is a pleasant surprise."

Oil prices jumped on hopes that global growth will be boosted by the tariff agreement, and the price of benchmark Brent crude rose more than 3% to $64.14 a barrel.

However, the price of gold fell 3% to $3,224.34 an ounce.

The disruption caused by President Trump’s tariffs has helped the gold price to rise in recent weeks as it is seen as a safer asset in times of uncertainty.

Are 90 days enough to address the long-term challenges?published at 10:27 British Summer Time

10:27 BST

Jonathan Josephs
Business reporter

Given the pace at which US President Donald Trump has upended the global economy with his trade war, 90 days might seem like a long time.

It certainly gives US and Chinese negotiators a chance to ease the tensions that have cast a shadow over the global economy since he returned to office in January.

However there were talks between the world's two biggest economies for most of Trump's first four-year term that brought limited success.

Eventually a "Phase One Trade Deal" was agreed in January 2020 where China pledged to boost US imports by $200bn above 2017 levels and strengthen intellectual property rules.

In return the US cut some tariffs. But China never manged to hits its purchasing targets - and there are still complaints about intellectual property protections.

On top of which, in the years that followed, both sides added restrictions on trade with each other.

The difficulty in overcoming their differences points to the more fundamental long-term conflict between the world's two biggest economies.

China's economy is run with a lot of government direction and that sits uneasily with America's free market capitalism - and in particular the failings Trump has identified and is trying to address with his trade war.

After multiple rounds of tit-for-tat tariffs, the US and China have agreed a deal that will significantly cut import tariffs both sides have imposed on one another for a 90-day period.

We've put together this graph showing how tariffs have changed since the trade war between the world's two largest economies began on 1 February:

We've been looking at the joint statement released by the US and China after their trade meeting in Geneva. Here's a summary of the deal:

• The 90-day pause will come into effect from Wednesday, with the US reducing tariffs on China to 30%, down from 145%. China will reduce duties on US goods to 10%, down from 125%

• Both countries will establish "a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations", spearheaded by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China's Vice premier He Lifeng
• Future talks may be held in China or the United States, the statement adds

• They acknowledge the "importance of their bilateral economic and trade relationship to both countries and the global economy"
• The statement says both the US and China believe that "continued discussions have the potential to address the concerns of each side in their economic and trade relationship"
• It adds that talks will move forward in the "spirit of mutual opening, continued communication, cooperation, and mutual respect"

As a reminder, tariffs are taxes charged on goods bought from other countries.

Typically, they are a percentage of a product's value.

A10% tariff means a $10 product would have a $1 tax on top - taking the total cost to $11 (£8.35).

Companies that bring foreign goods into the US have to pay the tax to the government.

They may pass some or all of the extra cost on to customers. Firms may also decide to import fewer goods.

• For more detail on how tariffs work and what other countries are affected, read our explainer

Some of the issues that the US and China might discusspublished at 09:41 British Summer Time

09:41 BST

Jonathan Josephs
Business reporter

There is clearly a sense of optimism from both sides after this weekend’s talks in Geneva but there’s a lot of work to be done.

The 90-day tariff suspensions give the US and China more time to make progress, however, the list of US complaints is long.

President Trump has long been unhappy with the fact that the US buys substantially more goods from China than it sells it.

Other concerns include a lack of protection for the intellectual property rights of American companies in China including the forced transfer of technology.

There’s also unhappiness about alleged Chinese government subsidies that give their companies an unfair advantage - something Beijing says Washington also does.

And in some industries, like steel and aluminium production, those subsidies are argued to support excess manufacturing which drives global prices down, Beijing has also dismissed that argument.

Plus there are disagreements over regulations in industries ranging from food to cosmetics.

These differences have been years in the making so it's difficult to see how all of them can be resolved by August but substantial progress would certainly ease tensions.

The value of the US dollar and Chinese Yuan have both risen at the news of the suspension.

The dollar has risen in value against the pound, Euro and Japanese Yen.

The Yuan is also up against those three major currencies, as well as the dollar itself.

China was becoming concerned at the impact of US tariffspublished at 09:15 British Summer Time

09:15 BST

Laura Bicker
China correspondent, in Beijing

China had maintained a defiant stance as US tariffs spiralled. It retaliated with its own steep levies and pledged that it would not back down.

This country can take the pain of an economic war with America – to an extent. It is the lead trade partner for more than 100 other countries.

But officials in Beijing have become increasingly concerned about the impact the tariffs could have on an economy that is already struggling to deal with a property crisis and high youth unemployment.

Factory output has already slowed and there are reports that some companies were having to lay off workers as production lines of goods bound for the US began to grind to a halt.

The commerce ministry said the agreement reached with the US is an important step to "resolve differences" and "lay the foundation to bridge differences and deepen cooperation".

Such a positive statement from Beijing would have seemed inconceivable just a month ago.

There is a slight sting in the tail. The ministry ended its statement with a reminder of who it sees as being in the wrong.

"We hope the US. side will continue to work with China to thoroughly correct the practice of unilateral increases."

A larger cut than expected - but 30% is still a high tariffpublished at 09:12 British Summer Time

09:12 BST

Theo Leggett
International business correspondent

The tariff cut was bigger than expected – and that has been welcomed by analysts.

The current US tariff, at 30%, is still high – but has been described by analysts as "manageable".

Some of the measures have only been paused, not cancelled.

But for the moment, today’s news is being seen as a welcome step forward.

Some more updates from China now - its ministry of commerce says it hopes the US will "keep working with China" on trade.

It adds that tariff cuts are in the "common interest of the world".

This deal will be welcomed internationallypublished at 09:01 British Summer Time

09:01 BST

David Waddell
Business reporter

As US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent admitted this morning, the tariffs in place amounted to a de facto “trade embargo” between the world’s two biggest economies.

US tariffs on Chinese imports? 145%.

Chinese tariffs on the USA? 125%.

Those tariffs will now be reduced to more workable levels for an initial 90-day period. It’s a boost to the two protagonists involved.

But - in an interconnected world that continues to rely on strong US demand - this rapprochement will be welcomed internationally.

The rest of the world could not afford trade between the US and China to grind to a halt altogether.

A joint statement on the deal confirms the 90-day pause will begin on 14 May.

It also says both countries will "establish a mechanism to continue discussions about economic and trade relations".

Scott Bessent will represent the US, while vice premier He Lifeng will represent the Chinese government.

The further talks may be held in the US, China, or an agreed third-party nation.

Theo Leggett
International business correspondent

After several months in which trade tensions between the US and China have escalated rapidly, this was the first sign of a thawing of relations, with the US delegation claiming they had found a constructive path forward.

Ahead of today’s announcement the US tariff on most Chinese imports stood at 145%. That will now be reduced to 30% for the next 90 days.

China has reduced its own duties on US goods from 125% to 10% for the same period.

The US measures still include an extra component aimed at putting pressure on Beijing to do more to curb the illegal trade in fentanyl, a powerful opioid drug.

But US officials said they had been positively surprised by the willingness of China to deal with the problem.

"We have reached an agreement on a 90-day pause," says US Treasury Scott Bessent, who was negotiating with China in Geneva.

In China, Hong Kong's Hang Seng index has risen sharply at the tariffs announcement.

The index is up by 3.4% as of 08:30 BST (15:30 local time).

The UK's FTSE 100 index is also up since opening at 08:00 BST, by 0.7%.

Oil prices have also risen, with the value of Brent Crude - a key indicator of oil prices generally - up by 2.8%.

We're waiting for more details on the new tariffs - but, as we've reported, Scott Bessent says each side will cut their tariffs by 115%.

The current US tariff on Chinese imports is 145% - while China charges a 125% tariff on some US goods.

So today's news means the rates should fall to 30% and 10% - but we're yet to see that confirmed.

China's commerce ministry confirms the suspension of "all tariff countermeasures" taken against the US since 2 April, Reuters reports.

Bessent says after "robust" discussions, the US and China have agreed a 90-day pause on "reciprocal" tariffs, meaning both sides will reduce their tariffs by 115%.