Trump wants everyone to stop asking when trade transactions come

Washington – A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump and the White House boasted that his tariffs would force a legion of foreign nations to hurry into new trade agreements – and that Trump's skills would provide cheaper conditions

“I tell you these countries call us and kiss my A–,” said Trump last month before his mutual tariffs should come into force. “You absolutely want to make a deal. 'Please, sir, do a deal. I'll do everything. I'll do everything, sir!'”

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“We have 90 days in 90 days, possibly 90 deals,” said Peter Navarro, Trump trading consultant Peter Navarro, about NBC News' “Meet the Press” a few days later.

But Trump has changed his tone and melody in the past few days, since it has become clear that trade agreements do not want as quickly as he wants and that it is not dozens in the queue. His postponement also comes in the midst of severe criticism that his tariffs will increase the prices for consumers and damage an American economy that organized the first negative growth in years in the first quarter.

“You continue to write about offers, offers. When will we sign you? It's very simple. We will say in some cases that you will open your country. In some cases we want you to drop your tariffs,” an obviously frustrated Trump told reporters on Tuesday.

“So I wish you would stop, you know, listen to ask: 'How many offers do you sign this week?' Because one day we come and give you 100 offers.

It was Trump who set the 90-day clock.

Apart from the ambitious escape to haggle with numerous countries at the same time, the United States does not yet have to use its largest trading partner China, since Trump has applied a comprehensive tariff of this nation to the products of this country.

Finance Minister Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday that his planned meeting with Chinese officials in Switzerland is making an early phase of negotiations this weekend, which is not as far as in conversations with less important nations.

“On Saturday we will start what is the opposite of advanced,” said Bessent, while questioning rep. Nydia Velázquez, Dn.Y.

The day before, he said that discussions with a much lower number of countries take place when Trump and Navarro counted and that the time horizon could take much longer.

“There are 18 very important trade relationships, and we are currently negotiating with 17 of these trading partners,” Bessent told the sub -committee for financial services and general government to the house agent on Tuesday. “About 97 or 98% of our trade deficit are with 15 countries, 18% of the countries are our most important trading partners. And I would be surprised if we have no more than 80 or 90% of those who are completed at the end of the year, and that can be much earlier.”

Besser continued that it could be announced this week. And yet at the end of the year, the schedule differs far from what officials of the White House had previously proposed. The change in rhetoric is intended, according to an official of the White House, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not justified to speak in the recording.

The substance is more important than speed, said the official.

“Obviously we work as soon as possible, but we don't try to do business that are conversations to do business,” added the official.

Trump has used his authority as part of an emergency declaration to increase the tariffs for US trading partners – and he can lower them in a similar way if he wants, but he may have to include the congress for more comprehensive trade agreements. At the moment, Trump is working with a blunt tool-die taxes for goods that come from abroad to the USA to win concessions for both obligations and for “non-tariff obstacles” for trade.

“We do not need a congress to say goodbye to an invoice” because the tariffs used in the USA should be sufficient to win these concessions, said the White House official. “The responsibility is obviously in the countries with which we negotiate.”