The Wall Street Journal reports that negotiators for the U.S. and China will face off in Shanghai this week in another attempt to piece together a trade accord amid much lowered expectations for the kind of sweeping deal that appeared within reach this spring. People close to the talks said a major breakthrough is unlikely on points that led to negotiations breaking down in early May, but that modest wins might be obtainable. That includes the U.S. insistence that China commit to legal changes to protect intellectual property and abandon state subsidies to business, and Beijing's demands that the U.S. drop all tariffs as a condition for a deal.President Trump played down the odds of a significant breakthrough. "I don't know if they're going to make a deal," he said Friday. "Maybe they will, maybe they won't." Among the possible smaller achievements that might be obtainable, close observers said, would be a commitment by China to purchase more agricultural products and action by the U.S. to relax its ban on U.S. companies selling to telecommunications equipment giant Huawei Technologies Co., which Mr. Trump has already agreed to do in general terms.

Bloomberg reports that companies are expected to sign fresh deals on American products free of retaliatory tariffs, as trade talks between China and the U.S. resume on Monday, state media reported late on Sunday.Some Chinese companies have applied for an exemption from paying retaliatory tariffs, state media Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday. Firms have already bought some farm goods after asking for price quotations on products such as U.S. soybeans, cotton, pork and sorghum on July 19, Xinhua reported, citing China's Commerce Ministry and the National Development and Reform Commission. Bloomberg News earlier reported that several domestic companies have been approved to buy certain U.S. farms good tariff free. The companies will buy more from the U.S. if the price and quality are acceptable, said Xinhua.