Why ‘substance’ of China trade deal matters more than Trump impeachment probe: Expert

As U.S. and Chinese negotiators reportedly gear up for trade talks in Washington, D.C. next month, President Trump’s impeachment probe remains top of mind for investors. But one expert contends the “substance” of a trade deal should remain the focus, rather than whether impeachment proceedings may put Washington officials at a disadvantage in discussions with Beijing.

“Even if the president wanted to go ahead and show that he can make a deal during these impeachment proceedings — if he brought home a weak deal, he’d be criticized. So I think it’s going to really rest on the substance of the deal,” said Wendy Cutler, Former Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and Asia Society Vice President.

U.S.-China trade tensions remain in focus as negotiators reportedly gear up for trade talks in October. (Courtesy: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque, June 29)

This comes as a U.S. Treasury official told Bloomberg the Trump administration is not considering stopping Chinese companies from listing on American stock exchanges “at this time.” Cutler predicts if the White House did limit investments, it could “shake things up considerably.”

“It would be a pretty powerful move. But I think there are a lot of regulatory aspects to such a move which would make it pretty complicated to actually implement,” Cutler told Yahoo Finance’s “The Ticker.”

McKenzie Stratigopoulos is a producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter: @mckenziestrat

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