FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping meet business leaders at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo/File Photo

(Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet next month, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official said at an industry event on Wednesday, as the two countries try to hammer out a deal to end a tit-for-tat tariff battle.

The presidents are expected to meet “sometime in March,” said USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky at a renewable fuels industry conference.

U.S. negotiators are in Beijing this week to discuss a trade pact that would avert an increase in U.S. duties on Chinese goods scheduled for March 2.