Top U.S. and Chinese trade officials met over the phone Tuesday to negotiate, said President Donald Trump, who stressed the talks were “productive” and offered optimism that a conclusion could come soon. The Chinese officials took the opportunity to complain about Trump’s announcement two weeks ago to hit another $300 billion worth of Chinese goods with a 10 percent tariff. Some of those tariffs are scheduled to be levied on Sept. 1, but the Trump administration offered a surprise Tuesday when it announced that it is delaying tariffs on some of the Chinese products until Dec. 15. The officials are scheduled to talk again in two weeks, just before new U.S. tariffs go into effect at the beginning of September. (Agri-Pulse)