US considers delisting Chinese stocks amid trade tensions

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated today that China’s move to impose retaliatory tariffs of 84% against the US is “unfortunate” and a “losing proposition” for Beijing.

In an interview with Fox Business, Bessent said, “I think it’s unfortunate that the Chinese don’t really want to come and negotiate, because they are the worst offenders in the international trading system.”

Bessent also claimed that allies want to discuss how to rebalance China’s trade policies in talks with US officials.

The Secretary stated, “That’s the big win here. The US is trying to rebalance toward more production. China needs to rebalance toward more consumption.”

Bessent also warned Beijing against trying to devalue its currency in response to the new tariffs.

Bessent said, “If China starts devaluing, that’s a tax on the rest of the world, and everyone has to keep raising their tariffs to offset the devaluation. So I urge them not to do that and to come to the table.”

Not ruling out the removal of Chinese stocks from US stock exchanges, Bessent said that “all options are on the table.”

In an interview with CNBC yesterday, Bessent said, “I think this escalation by China is a big mistake. We are a country with a current account deficit. What do we lose by China raising tariffs against us? We export one-fifth of what they export to us. So this is a losing hand for them.”

Saying that US President Donald Trump will be personally involved in the trade negotiations, Bessent, in response to a question on whether the European Union needs to reduce non-tariff barriers, including value-added taxes, said, “Everything is on the table.”