Chinese and American trade negotiators concluded their two-day meeting in Stockholm without a clear path forward to avert tariffs from skyrocketing back to ultra-high levels that formed an effective blockade on trade between the world’s two largest economies.

The U.S. and China had agreed to pause most of the sky-high tariffs on each others' goods amid trade negotiations – but that pause is set to expire in August.

Officials are meeting in Sweden for their third round of talks in as many months, ahead of an Aug. 12 deadline, to try to avoid a flare-up in trade tensions.