Under the agreement, China will import at least 10 million metric tonnes of US coal in 2027 and another 10 million tonnes in 2028, according to the White House fact sheet.
The commitment comes as the Trump administration seeks to revive the US coal industry. The White House said the coal agreement followed Trump’s efforts to strengthen the sector, while the US is also facing higher energy demand from new factories and data centres linked to the artificial-intelligence industry.
Trump also urged Xi to increase production of refined petroleum products to help stabilise global energy markets.
Tariff relief for $30 billion of goods
The two countries reached consensus on recommendations for more favourable tariff treatment covering $30 billion of non-sensitive goods in each direction.
For US exports to China, the products covered include agricultural goods, fish and seafood, logs and wood products, cosmetics and medical devices.
Chinese goods covered by the arrangement include small appliances, toys, holiday decorations and children's car seats.
The US-China Board of Trade, which was operationalised during the leaders’ meeting, will also establish a working group to address market-access barriers in agriculture, a long-standing source of friction in bilateral trade.
Investment, critical minerals also on agenda
Washington and Beijing have also established the US-China Board of Investment, which will provide a structured channel for discussing investment opportunities and addressing investment-related impediments.
The two sides will continue discussions over US concerns about supply-chain shortages involving rare earths and other critical minerals, with the stated aim of restoring shipment levels to appropriate levels.
The White House also said China had taken steps concerning precursor chemicals linked to illicit fentanyl production. In August 2026, following information from US law enforcement, China arrested 21 Chinese citizens accused of manufacturing and distributing precursor chemicals to illicit drug producers in North America.
More talks on emerging technology
The two countries also agreed to continue discussions on emerging technologies. The White House said Washington and Beijing would establish a bilateral Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue to discuss the risks and benefits of emerging technologies, with the next exchange scheduled by November 2026.
Separately, China's state-run Xinhua reported that the two countries' militaries had agreed to work towards a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening crisis communication and prevention.
The latest measures represent a broader effort to build structured channels for trade, investment, critical minerals and technology discussions even as major differences remain between Washington and Beijing.
