Trump says he will not lower China tariffs to kick off trade talksbr br US President Donald Trump holds a swearing-in ceremony in the Oval Office for his new ambassador to China, former US Senator David Perdue, who takes the post amid trade-war tensions between the two countries. "No," says Trump succinctly in response to a reporter asking the US President if he would consider bringing down his 145 percent tariffs on goods from China to get them to the negotiation table.