BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany welcomes a China-U.S. agreement on easing rare-earth export restrictions and hopes negotiations between the United States and the European Union could be solved in a similar way, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Wednesday.

U.S.-China talks on trade have been “productive,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. After two full days of talks in London, Bessent said he was heading back to the U.S. for planned testimony to Congress on Wednesday.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Wednesday that U.S. tariff levels on Chinese imports will not change from their current levels, even as a trade deal between Washington and Beijing has yet to be finalized.

U.S. stock index futures edged lower on Wednesday after U.S.-China trade talks offered little sign of a durable resolution to their longstanding trade tensions, while investors turned their focus to a key inflation reading.

U.S. stocks drifted just below their all-time high as the wait continues to hear what will come of trade talks underway between the United States and China.

While Donald Trump's wide-ranging taxes on imports face scrutiny in court, he has touted a new "deal" with China that will see tariffs against the country remain at historic levels. Here's what it will mean for you.

By Katya Golubkova and Trixie Yap (Reuters) -Oil prices softened on Wednesday as markets assessed the outcome of U.S.-China trade talks, yet to be reviewed by President Donald Trump, with weak oil demand from China and OPEC+ production increases weighing on the market.

China plans to remove tariffs on imports from almost all African countries to further cement already close relations with the continent as it deals with the fallout of US President Donald Trump’s trade wars.