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President Donald Trump of the United States said on Friday that he was open to carving out deals with countries seeking to avoid the US.
This was as he said those agreements would have to be negotiated after his administration announces reciprocal tariffs on April 2.
Trump states this while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One.
The president also said that he would soon be announcing tariffs targeting the pharmaceutical industry, but declined to give any details on when or at what tariff rate.
According to him, countries including Britain had approached the United States to try to cut deals and avert the reciprocal tariffs.
“They want to make deals. It’s possible if we can get something for the deal. But yeah, I’m certainly open to that. If we can do something where we get something for it,” he said.
When asked if such deals could happen before April 2, Trump said, “No, probably later. It’s a process.”
President Donald Trump has escalated trade tensions by imposing high tariffs on auto imports and parts, drawing sharp warnings from international trade partners who have threatened countermeasures. The decision comes just days before the administration is set to implement additional tariffs.
Wall Street took a steep dive on Wednesday as markets braced for President Donald Trump’s afternoon announcement, with jitters rippling through trading floors. Toyota, the globe’s leading automaker by sales, saw its shares skid over three percent, reflecting the unease gripping investors.
Japan’s government didn’t hold back, calling the move “extremely regrettable” in a sharp rebuke. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, speaking with measured resolve, told reporters that Tokyo is weighing “all kinds of countermeasures” to respond, signaling a brewing standoff as the economic stakes climb higher.
“What we’re going to be doing is a 25 percent tariff on all cars that are not made in the United States,” Trump said, as he signed the order in the Oval Office.
