President Trump said he is in contact with the “highest levels” of the Chinese government about a potential deal to reduce tariffs, appearing to confirm that he is talking to Chinese President Xi Jinping himself.

Trump tariffs in 2016 sent a glut of cheap Chinese imports, originally intended for the US, into South East Asia, hurting many local manufacturers. But they also opened new doors for other businesses, often into global supply chains that wanted to cut their dependence on China.