China to exempt 16 categories of US products from tariffs

China announced Wednesday it would exempt 16 categories of products from US tariffs, ahead of a fresh round of trade talks next month.

China and the US have been embroiled in a year-long trade war that has seen the two sides slap punitive tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in two-way trade.

The exemptions announced Wednesday will become effective on September 17 and be valid for one year, according to the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, which released two lists that include seafood products and anti-cancer drugs.

The lists mark the first time Beijing has announced products to be excluded from tariffs.

Other product categories which will become exempt from tariffs include alfalfa pellets, fish feed, medical linear accelerators and mould release agents.

Wednesday's lists do not include big-ticket items such as soybeans and pork.

Trade negotiators have said they will meet in Washington in early October, raising hopes that fresh negotiations could help ease tensions between the world's two biggest economies.

Both sides imposed fresh tit-for-tat tariffs on September 1.