After a “constructive” round of talks ahead of an Aug. 12 deadline, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “Nothing is agreed until we speak with President Trump.”

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

Lawmakers in both houses of Congress introduced legislation targeting China on Thursday, a reminder of Capitol Hill’s deep-seated desire to punish Beijing over human rights even as President Trump gives priority to a trade deal.