Trump says US will set tariff rates for some of its trading partners

Donald Trump has said the US volition nonstop letters to immoderate of its trading partners to unilaterally enforce caller tariff rates, suggesting that Washington lacks the capableness to scope idiosyncratic commercialized deals.

Highlighting the situation for the White House to negociate deals with hundreds of countries astatine once, Trump said it was “not imaginable to conscionable the fig of radical that privation to spot us”.

Speaking astatine a gathering with concern leaders successful the United Arab Emirates connected the president’s circuit of the Gulf, helium said: “We have, astatine the aforesaid time, 150 countries that privation to marque a deal, but you’re not capable to spot that galore countries.”

The president said that his treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, and commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, would beryllium “sending letters retired fundamentally telling” immoderate of Washington’s trading partners what tariff rates would beryllium imposed connected their goods exports to the US market.

“At a definite constituent implicit the adjacent 2 3 weeks, I deliberation Scott and Howard volition beryllium sending letters retired fundamentally telling radical – it volition beryllium precise just – but we’ll beryllium telling radical what they’ll beryllium paying to bash concern successful the United States,” helium said.

Trump’s comments exposure the trouble of the task the president acceptable for his medication aft imposing sweeping borderline taxes connected goods imports from each of the US’s trading partners connected his 2 April “liberation day”.

Washington has withdrawn immoderate of its toughest measures aft a backlash successful the enslaved markets, including pausing alleged “reciprocal tariff” rates connected galore trading partners, including the EU, striking a commercialized woody to little tariffs with the UK, and agreeing a 90-day intermission with China.

Earlier this week Trump hailed a “total reset” successful relations betwixt China and the US aft the countries agreed the pause, which included Beijing lowering its duties connected US goods to 10%, portion the US taxation connected Chinese goods volition beryllium lowered to 30%.

The White House has signalled it is prioritising talks with dozens of the US’s largest trading partners, including India, South Korea and Japan, portion negotiations with the EU are ongoing.

However, his comments suggest Washington lacks the bandwidth to negociate with hundreds of countries astatine once, portion indicating that the president volition alternatively propulsion to dictate terms.