The Orange Swan

[timelets]

At the time, the president said a final deal would be finished in three to five weeks.
...
Trade negotiators had originally hoped a deal could be signed by Mr. Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of an economic summit in Chile on Nov. 16-17. But that summit was canceled, effectively removing what had served as a de facto deadline.

Looming now are plans by the Trump administration to impose 15% tariffs on smartphones, toys and other products from China on Dec. 15. The levies are expected to directly hit consumers as Mr. Trump gears up for his 2020 re-election campaign.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/stalled-u-s-china-trade-talks-raise-threat-of-another-impasse-11574202440

Stalled negotiations would explain why Covfefe urgently needed to talk to Powell. They want a backstop if the market reacts negatively to new tariffs and no trade deal in sight.