US Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley on Thursday said he did not expect President Donald Trump to walk away from a Phase 1 trade deal with China despite concerns over Beijing’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, reported Reuters.
Grassley, a strong backer of the trade agreement signed in January, told reporters he felt that Trump would stick to the deal after a private conversation with his fellow Republican late last week.
“I was very satisfied with his answer and you know I wouldn’t be satisfied … if I didn’t feel like the president was going to maintain that trade agreement with China,” the senator said during a regular call with agriculture reporters.
Grassley said he discussed the trade deal with Trump during a phone call last week, and told him that he believed US concerns over China’s lack of transparency about the virus should not interfere with the trade agreement.