July 31, 2012. The United States is optimistic it can strike a deal with China and other Asia-Pacific countries to cut tariffs on green technology goods despite frictions with Beijing over the burgeoning trade in renewable energy products. President Barack Obama and other leaders of the 21-economy Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agreed in November to a goal of cutting tariffs to 5 percent or less on a range of environmentally friendly goods by the end of 2015.