China’s top trade official said the two sides had “constructive” and “candid” discussions and agreed to keep the tariffs at current levels — the United States taxing Chinese goods at 30 percent and China collecting 10 percent on US products.

U.S. and Chinese officials agreed to seek an extension of their 90-day tariff truce on Tuesday, following two days of what both sides described as constructive talks in Stockholm aimed at defusing an escalating trade war between the world's two biggest economies that threatens global growth.

Officials are meeting in Sweden for their third round of talks in as many months, ahead of an Aug. 12 deadline, to try to avoid a flare-up in trade tensions.