Instead of delivering on his promise to finalize numerous trade deals with foreign countries by Wednesday — the 90-day mark since his self-proclaimed April “Liberation Day” — the president seemed to backtrack, mentioning a few potential frameworks and deals in progress. He indicated that his current strategy involves sending letters to foreign governments outlining the tariffs that will be imposed on their products upon entering the United States.
Below is Trump’s complete statement:
“We have engaged in discussions with all parties involved. Everything is settled. As I mentioned before, we will reach agreements with some, but for the most part, we will simply send a welcoming letter to nations. The letter will extend an invitation to partake in the unparalleled success of our nation. We are thriving like never before, achieving unprecedented levels of prosperity. The forthcoming statistics will reflect this prosperity. Our investment rates are soaring, surpassing 90. Soon, we will exceed this figure. However, the majority will receive a letter. This is precisely as I foretold. We have successfully negotiated with the United Kingdom and China, and are on the brink of finalizing an agreement with India. With others, negotiations have proven futile, prompting us to resort to letters. We present them with the terms and inquire if they wish to cooperate. This approach is fair, considering the strong alliances we share with many nations. Although our demands are modest in comparison to what is rightfully owed, we strive to maintain positive relations. Nevertheless, we could demand more. Our current requests are conservative in light of the circumstances.”