US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and China’s Vice-Premier He Lifeng will lead talks on trade and other pressure points on Sept 20 in New York ahead of next week’s summit between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies. The negotiators will lay the groundwork for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept 24 in Washington. Energy disruptions from the Iran war, the artificial intelligence boom, and trade and investment are likely to top the agenda, as both sides work to maintain stability in a tariff truce that expires in November. Adding urgency for US officials to extend the deal are Nov 3 midterm elections where inflation is a persistent voter concern. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will also attend talks, according to a statement from his office. An announcement of new US tariffs over allegations of trading partners’ excess manufacturing capacity has been delayed until after the meeting, according to people familiar with the matter. The US and China have been working to reduce levies on American energy and agricultural products, part of a broader initiative to ease barriers on US$30 billion (S$38 billion) worth of products from each side under the Board of Trade mechanism launched earlier in 2026. Chinese exports to the US have rebounded in 2026. The New York talks are taking place ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting held in the city later next week.