NEW YORK - Senior U.S. and Chinese economic officials are scheduled to begin a new round of talks in New York on Sunday, with tariffs, artificial intelligence and critical minerals on the agenda just days before President Donald Trump hosts Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s lead official for economic and trade negotiations with the United States. Reuters reported the meeting was scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Eastern time at JPMorgan Chase headquarters in Manhattan.

The talks are intended to prepare possible agreements or areas of understanding for Trump and Xi rather than produce a comprehensive settlement of the countries’ economic disputes. As of Sunday morning, neither government had announced an agreement from the New York discussions.

China’s Ministry of Commerce confirmed that He is leading a delegation to the United States from Sept. 19 through Sept. 23 for economic and trade consultations. Beijing said the two sides would discuss economic and trade issues of mutual concern under agreements previously reached by the two presidents.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative separately confirmed that Greer would join Bessent for Sunday’s meeting and said the administration plans to focus on implementation of previous commitments, trade in non-sensitive products and market access for American agriculture and manufacturing.

Tariffs remain at the center of negotiations

One immediate issue is the future of the trade arrangements that have kept another escalation in U.S.-China tariffs on hold. Parts of the current framework are scheduled to expire in November, giving both governments an approaching deadline to decide whether to extend existing measures, modify tariffs or allow suspended restrictions to return.

The two governments have also been exploring targeted tariff reductions rather than a broad elimination of trade barriers. USTR established a U.S.-China Board of Trade this year and in June requested public input on categories of non-sensitive products that could qualify for tariff modifications on both sides.

That process creates the possibility of narrower agreements covering specific American and Chinese exports while leaving restrictions on strategically sensitive sectors in place.

Reuters reported that the current negotiations are expected to revisit possible tariff reductions on non-strategic goods as well as efforts to increase Chinese purchases of American agricultural products and aircraft. Energy products have also been part of broader discussions between the two governments.

No tariff reduction discussed in New York should be treated as final until the governments formally announce the products covered, the rates involved and when any change takes effect.

Critical minerals remain a major U.S. concern

Rare earth elements and other critical minerals are another central issue because China dominates significant portions of global mining, processing and magnet manufacturing capacity. Those materials are used in automobiles, electronics, energy equipment, aerospace systems and defense technology.

A U.S.-China economic agreement reached in 2025 included Chinese commitments involving rare earth and critical mineral export controls, but concerns over supply have persisted. Reuters reported ahead of Sunday’s talks that U.S. officials want improved flows of rare-earth materials and that exports of some products remain below levels seen before China imposed controls.

The issue has become increasingly important to Washington. Bessent convened finance ministers from several major economies in January to discuss diversifying critical-mineral supply chains, while USTR is separately developing an international agreement intended to support mineral production outside China.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies said in a September briefing that China continues to hold dominant positions across several stages of the rare-earth supply chain, leaving the United States and other countries vulnerable to export restrictions.

Artificial intelligence joins the economic agenda

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a more prominent part of U.S.-China economic diplomacy. The two countries are the leading competitors in advanced AI development, while U.S. restrictions on advanced semiconductor exports and concerns about access to powerful models have created another source of friction.

Reuters reported that Bessent and He are expected to discuss possible AI safeguards, communication between the two governments and risks associated with increasingly capable systems. Bessent has indicated that the United States is open to discussions with China about shared AI risks even as Washington maintains technology restrictions intended to protect national security.

The discussions are not expected to eliminate the larger technology competition. The United States continues to restrict Chinese access to some advanced chips and semiconductor equipment, while Beijing has objected to U.S. technology and trade restrictions that it says unfairly constrain Chinese companies.

The addition of AI to Sunday’s agenda makes the New York meeting broader than a conventional tariff negotiation. Any understandings reached by the economic teams could shape what Trump and Xi discuss when they meet later this week.

Xi state visit begins Wednesday

Xi is scheduled to arrive in the Washington area Wednesday for the first U.S. state visit by a Chinese leader in more than a decade. Trump is expected to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews before the formal White House events begin Thursday.

Trump and Xi are scheduled to hold closed-door talks Thursday and attend a state dinner that evening. Trade, artificial intelligence and critical-mineral supplies are expected to be among the economic issues considered by the leaders.

The two presidents previously met in Beijing in May, and the governments have continued working through disagreements left unresolved after that meeting.

Analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies have described the upcoming summit as an effort in part to preserve stability in the relationship while larger disputes over trade, technology, industrial policy and security remain unresolved.

The practical question Sunday is whether Bessent, Greer and He can narrow enough of those disputes to give Trump and Xi specific proposals to approve later in the week. Until the New York talks conclude and either government releases a readout, it remains unclear whether the meeting will produce concrete tariff changes, new mineral commitments or an AI agreement.

The next significant information is expected to come from official statements following the New York negotiations and from the Trump-Xi meetings in Washington on Thursday.