Trump officials maintain tariff pressure but suggest flexibility in deadlines

It promotes uncertainty in businesses, consumers and American trading partners, leaving questions about which countries will be notified, whether it will change for days, and whether President Donald Trump is once again charging fees. Trump and his top trade advisors say he can extend the time of trading, but they argue that the administration is putting the greatest pressure on other countries.

White House National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett told CBS’ Face the Nation on Sunday that Trump will decide when it’s time to give up on negotiations.

“The United States wants to talk to everyone and everyone at all times,” Hassett said. “There’s a deadline and something close, so things may be pushed back or they may not, and in the end the president is going to make that decision.”

Stephen Milan, chairman of the White House Economic Advisors Council, similarly said that countries that negotiate and make concessions in good faith can “become involved in some kind of date.”

Sudden tariffs President Donald Trump announced on April 2 that he had reviewed the global economy and threatened to lead to a broader trade war. A week later, after a financial market panic, his administration halted for 90 days, with most of the higher taxes on imports in effect. The negotiation window until July 9th led to transactions announced exclusively with the UK and Vietnam.

In response to what he called an economic emergency, Trump has imposed increased tariff rates on dozens of countries operating meaningful trade surpluses on imports from all countries. There are separate ones 50% tariff on steel and aluminum 25% tariff on automobiles.

Since April, few foreign governments have set new terms of trade with Washington, as the Republican president has requested.

Trump may write to reporters on Saturday to the nation spelling out their tariff fees if his administration doesn’t reach the deal on Saturday, but the US won’t start collecting those taxes until August 1st.

He and his advisors refused to say which countries would receive the letter.

Treasury Secretary Scott Becent rejected the idea that August 1 is the new deadline and refused to say what will happen on Wednesday.

“I understand,” Bescent said of the state of CNN coalition. “I’m not going to hand out playbooks.”

He said the US is “close to some deals” and predicted some major announcements over the next few days. He gave no details.

“I think we’re going to see a lot of deals very quickly,” Bescent said.

Trump has announced his contract with Vietnam. This will allow US goods to enter the country tax-free, but Vietnam’s exports to the US will face a 20% collection.

This was a decrease from his proposed 46% tax on Vietnamese imports in April. This is one of the so-called mutual tariffs targeting dozens of countries where the US is facing a trade deficit.

I asked if he expected to reach the deal european union Or India, Trump said on Friday, “Letters are good for us.”

“We came in India and we were with Vietnam and they said, “Listen, there’s a certain deficit, or a surplus, but I know there’s not too much, but this is when you want to do business in the US and you have to pay.”

But Canada isn’t one of the countries receiving the letter, Trump’s ambassador Pete Hawkstra said Friday after recently reopened trade talks between the two countries.

“Canada is one of our biggest trading partners,” Hoekstra told CTV News in an interview in Ottawa. “We’re going to make a clear deal.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he hopes to either have a new contract in place by July 21, or Canada will increase its trade measures.

Hoekstra has not committed to the date of the trade agreement and said that Canada could still face some tariffs even with the deal. But he said, “I’m not going to send a letter to Canada.”