US studying inflationary impact of tariffs on China: White House

She was, however, clear that higher inflation was a factor in the discussions.

"This is an ongoing process, and we're certainly looking at where we see costs being raised and, at a time where we're seeing heightened inflation, certainly that's on our minds," Psaki was quoted as saying by a global newswire.

She said the review was also looking at larger issues, such as China's behaviour in global markets and the impact of tariffs on wages, job opportunities and America's competitive edge.

Easing tariffs on non-strategic Chinese goods like bicycles or apparel could help combat inflation, US deputy national security adviser Daleep Singh recently said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)