NEW YORK, July 3 (Reuters) - The United States has lifted restrictions on exports to China for chip design software developers and ethane producers, a further sign of de-escalating U.S.-Sino trade tensions including concessions from Beijing over rare earths.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has lifted restrictions on exports of chip design software to China, as Washington and Beijing work to dial down hostilities as part of a recent trade agreement.

Siemens, Synopsys and Cadence said the U.S. has lifted export controls restricting sales and business in China.

President Donald Trump’s two-tiered trade deal with Vietnam aims squarely at practices China has long used to skirt US tariffs: The widespread legal shifting of production to Southeast Asian factories and the murkier and illegal “origin washing” of exports through their ports.

Though retailers have gotten some fireworks that shipped before tariffs were imposed, shipping costs are going sky-high.

The White House will begin on Friday unilaterally notifying trade partners of new tariff rates on their exports to the US, Donald Trump has said ahead of his looming July 9 deadline to complete new deals.