The Blubber

The Trump administration is planning to leverage ongoing tariff negotiations to push U.S. trading partners to scale back their economic ties with China, according to individuals familiar with the discussions.

The strategy involves securing commitments from partner nations to isolate China’s economy in return for easing some of the trade and tariff measures imposed by the White House. U.S. officials are reportedly engaging with more than 70 countries to urge them not to allow Chinese goods to transit through their borders, to block Chinese firms from relocating operations there to bypass U.S. tariffs, and to avoid integrating low-cost Chinese industrial products into their economies.

These efforts aim to further strain China’s already fragile economy and weaken Beijing’s position ahead of any potential talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The specifics of these demands would likely vary depending on each country’s level of economic engagement with China.

The White House and Treasury Department declined to comment.

Sources said the U.S. has already raised the idea in preliminary discussions with some countries. Trump appeared to reference the strategy during a Tuesday interview with Fox Noticias, where he said he would consider asking countries to choose between aligning with the U.S. or China. His remarks came in response to a question about Panama’s decision not to renew participation in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is said to be one of the key architects of this approach. He has taken the lead in trade negotiations following Trump’s April 9 announcement of a 90-day suspension of reciprocal tariffs for most countries—with the notable exception of China.