The latest round of trade talks between the United States and China in Stockholm ended on July 29, with no deal in place.

The 90-day truce announced in May after talks in Geneva paused an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies, who had threatened to impose tariffs of more than 100% on each other.

After the Geneva meetings, US tariffs on Chinese goods were reduced from 145% to 30%, while China's retaliatory tariffs dropped from 125% to 10%.

While the two rival powers have signaled that they are open to extending the negotiations beyond the August 12 deadline and avoid tariffs surging to pre-Geneva levels, key differences remain unresolved after the talks in the Swedish capital.

This latest round of negotiations "showed no material difference from the previous two" and still reflected "a case of waiting things out in hopes of a shift," Claus Soong, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) in Berlin, told DW.

Whether the pause will be extended now depends on US President Donald Trump, who is expected to decide after a full briefing.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who led the US delegation in Stockholm, called the meetings "constructive," but he stressed that "nothing is agreed until we speak with President Trump."

US officials warned that failure to reach a deal could see tariffs on Chinese goods surge back to triple-digit levels. China confirmed efforts to prolong the 90-day pause on most reciprocal........

© Deutsche Welle