BUSINESS NEWS FEBRUARY 27, 2019 / 4:49 PM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO

USTR to suspend China tariff hike 'until further notice'

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Wednesday it would move to formally suspend a scheduled tariff increase on Chinese goods “until further notice” following President Donald Trump’s decision to delay his Friday deadline for a U.S.-China trade deal amid progress in their talks.

The statement was issued after U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer’s testimony to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, in which he said USTR was following a legal process to implement the delay.

“In accordance with the president’s direction, the Office of the United States Trade Representative will publish a notice in the Federal Register this week to suspend the scheduled tariff increase until further notice,” USTR said in an emailed statement.

Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Peter Cooney