Mubasher: US President Donald Trump is weighing extending the deadline for the implementation of higher tariffs on Chinese goods by 60 days, as Washington and Beijing try to reach a resolution to their trade conflict, a news report said.

President Trump stated that he was flexible on letting the 1 March deadline for raising duties on $200 billion in Chinese imports slide, if both sides are close to clinch an agreement that addresses structural changes to Chinese economic policy, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

However, Trump added that he was not “inclined” to extend the deadline.

Trump considers whether to add 60 days to the planned deadline to provide more time for negotiators to resume their talks, the sources said.

This came after China initially proposed a 90-day extension, but it was knocked back by the US, sources familiar with the proposal told Bloomberg.

Trump lauded the trade talks, saying that they are “going along very well,” and the Chinese officials are “showing [their US counterparts] tremendous respect.”

US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are in Beijing in the latest round of high-level talks with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Thursday and Friday.

Lighthizer is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping this week.

Trump’s decision on extending the deadline may rely on the outcome of that meeting, one source said.