Tariff Policy in Flux: Trump to Skip Negotiations and Notify Countries of New Tariff Rates | WPN World People News

On the 16th, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that within the next two to three weeks, the United States may directly inform its trade partners of new tariff rates, rather than engaging in individual negotiations.

According to CNN, Trump said at a business roundtable in Abu Dhabi on the 16th, "There are 150 countries that want to make deals, but you can’t negotiate with that many countries at once. So in the next two to three weeks, I believe Scott Bessent (U.S. Secretary of the Treasury) and Howard Lutnick (U.S. Secretary of Commerce) will send out letters. We will be very fair, but we will tell people how much it costs to do business in the U.S."

Trump previously shocked the global economy by announcing sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” on various countries. On April 2, Trump announced a 90-day suspension of this policy starting April 9 to allow trade partners to negotiate with the U.S. U.S. officials stated that around 100 countries have requested trade talks, placing immense pressure on American negotiators to conclude these discussions within the 90-day window.

The Trump administration first reached an agreement with the United Kingdom, followed by a deal with China, which included scrapping a proposed 145% tariff on Chinese goods. U.S. officials stated they are currently in discussions with over a dozen countries, including India and Japan, and are close to finalizing frameworks for agreements.

Trump has previously said that his administration is rapidly securing various deals to make trade fairer and bring manufacturing back to the U.S. However, it remains unclear what tariff rates will be imposed on countries unable to reach short-term agreements with the U.S., and whether these tariffs will be permanent or serve as temporary rates during the negotiation period. Although Trump and his administration have touted the conclusion of multiple trade talks, in practice, formal trade agreements often take years to finalize. Trump’s tariff policies remain subject to change and could significantly impact the global political and economic landscape.