In a recent announcement, former President Donald Trump stated that 150 countries are seeking to establish trade deals with the United States. He emphasized that it is “not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us,” indicating the overwhelming demand for negotiations from various nations.
At the time, Trump was celebrating the signing of a “fantastic trade deal” with the United Kingdom. This agreement would be a huge victory, the first of its kind since his administration first levied aggressive tariff policies back in April. He added that he was “optimistic” about the deal’s potential. It would set the stage for a number of follow-on agreements with other U.S. trading partners.
Since April, Trump has forced reciprocal tariffs on nearly 60 trading partners—some as high as 50 percent. Further compounding the mistake, he set such a high baseline tariff of 10 percent on all foreign imports. All these measures were an element of his somewhat shrewd bigger strategy to promote U.S. economic interests, while attempting to steer through the murky trade waters of the world.
In his announcement, the former President committed to a 90-day pause on new obligations for all impacted countries. China is the only country not part of this exemption. He set a deadline for reaching a broader trade agreement with Beijing, highlighting the need for cooperation while both nations agreed to reduce their triple-digit tariffs on each other.
As Trump aims to streamline trade negotiations, he stated that the U.S. would begin unilaterally informing many of its trading partners about new tariff rates. He assured that individual letters detailing these tariffs would be sent “at a certain point over the next two to three weeks.”
Trump’s trade team has failed to negotiate lower tariffs with any of 50+ trading partners. A self-imposed deadline around early July deepens the stakes of these negotiations. A source familiar with the negotiations remarked that there are “too many nations to negotiate with all at once,” which complicates the process of reaching agreements.
“Telling people what they will be paying to do business in the United States,” Trump added, reinforcing his commitment to transparency in trade relations.
White House spokesman Kush Desai emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “Quick action on the President’s agenda is critical to restore American Greatness.”
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