WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he believes it is "possible" to strike a new trade deal with China, partly because he has a "very good relationship" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

"But remember, he loves China, and I love the USA. So, you know, right there, there's a little bit of competitiveness," Trump told reporters on Air Force One, claiming that he achieved a "great trade deal" with China during his first presidency.

He asserted the past deal should have helped American farmers and manufacturers significantly but China's commitments to remove trade barriers did not turn out in that way, blaming his predecessor Joe Biden for failing to push Beijing to adhere to its promises.

Noting that French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are due to visit Washington "soon," Trump said, "We'll have, ultimately, President Xi."

In a TV interview aired last week, without offering details, Trump said he had spoken to Xi since returning to the White House for a nonconsecutive second term on Jan. 20.

The Trump administration has already imposed an additional 10 tariffs on goods from China, accusing Beijing of not doing enough to stop the shipment to North America of precursors necessary to make fentanyl, the leading cause of overdose deaths in the United States.

Trump has also frequently complained that China has a huge trade surplus with the United States. But at the same time, he has repeatedly shown his willingness to engage with Xi to discuss not only trade imbalances but also many other issues, including nuclear disarmament.

On Wednesday, Trump did not elaborate further but also said his administration will be speaking to China about the fate of TikTok's operation in the United States.

"We have a chance of doing something good" for TikTok, Trump said, as he tries to find ways to save the popular short-form video-sharing platform, run by China's ByteDance Ltd., by brokering a sale of its U.S. unit.

On the day of his inauguration, Trump signed an executive order granting TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a federal law requiring ByteDance to sell the U.S. version of the social media platform or face a national ban.

Citing national security concerns, Biden signed the ban into law in April following passage with bipartisan congressional support.

While traveling back from Florida to Washington, Trump touched on various topics in addition to China, including tariffs.

For the first time, Trump said he is "thinking about maybe 25 percent" tariffs on forest products imported to the United States. He added that he is likely to formally make the announcement on those levies "a little bit later" than April 2.

Earlier Wednesday, Trump said he plans to announce tariffs on cars, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, lumber and some other goods "over the next month or sooner."

Again, the specifics of those tariffs, including when they may take effect, remain unclear.

Trump made the statement during a lengthy speech at a Saudi Arabia-backed investment meeting in Florida, a day after he threatened to impose tariffs of around 25 percent on automobiles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals imported to the United States.

He said at the time a new automobile tariff rate, up from the current 2.5 percent, will likely be announced on April 2.

On Wednesday, while referring to the different time frame, he claimed his tariff plan will have "a big impact on America."

"We're bringing our businesses back. If they don't make their product in America, then they very simply...have to pay a tariff. But if they do make their product in America, they don't have to pay any tariff," he said at the event in Miami.

(By Takuya Karube)