Chinese and American trade negotiators concluded their two-day meeting in Stockholm without a clear path forward to avert tariffs from skyrocketing back to ultra-high levels that formed an effective blockade on trade between the world’s two largest economies.

US and Chinese economic officials convened in Stockholm for extensive talks aimed at resolving deep-rooted trade disputes. The negotiations targeted extending a truce amid looming deadlines, with significant emphasis on the flow of critical minerals and balanced trade.