US President Donald Trump opened the door to extending trade talks with China past the current March 1 deadline to avoid an escalation of tariffs, saying he could allow more time for negotiations if Beijing and Washington were close to a breakthrough. 

“If we’re close to a deal where we think we can make a real deal and it’s going to get done, I could see myself letting that slide for a little while,” Mr Trump said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday. “But generally speaking, I’m not inclined to do that.” 

Mr Trump’s willingness to consider a later deadline for the talks comes as senior officials in his administration, including Robert Lighthizer, the US trade representative, and Steven Mnuchin, the Treasury secretary, were scheduled to hold a new round of talks with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing this week.