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US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a closed-door investor summit Tuesday that the tariff standoff with China cannot be sustained by both sides and that the world’s two largest economies will have to find ways to de-escalate.

That de-escalation will come in the very near future, Bessent said during an event hosted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. in Washington, which wasn’t open to the public or media. He characterized the current situation as essentially a trade embargo, according to people who attended the session.

Bessent said that it was not the US’s goal to decouple from China and that the current status quo of 145% tariffs on Chinese goods by the US and 125% tariffs on US products by China was not sustainable. He expressed optimism that tensions could cool in the coming months, which would bring relief to markets, but cautioned that a larger deal could take longer.

Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with:

• Bloomberg White House Correspondent Kate Sullivan.
• Bloomberg Politics Contributor Rick Davis and ROKK Solutions Partner Kristen Hawn.
• Bloomberg International Economics and Policy Correspondent Michael McKee.
• EIU Chief Economist Constance Hunter.

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