The president directly responded to a question about a possible pause in his plans.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is not looking to pause his tariff plan, as countries seek to negotiate deals with the White House.
Earlier Monday, the three major U.S. stock indexes saw-sawed after CNBC aired “unconfirmed information” claiming that Trump was considering a 90-day pause. But the White House said on social media that such reports were “fake news.”
Later, when speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked about a possible pause on tariffs to allow talks on deals.
“Well, we’re not looking at that,” the president responded. “We have many, many countries that are coming to negotiate deals with us, and they’re going to be fair deals. And in certain cases, they’re going to be paying substantial tariffs. There will be fair deals.”
Several countries have publicly indicated they want to lower their tariff rates on U.S. goods, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying the European Union could go “zero-for-zero” with the United States. Leaders in Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and other countries have also indicated they would engage in talks.
Trump told reporters that von der Leyen’s offer was not good enough. “They’re screwing us on trade,” Trump said in response to a question about her proposal.
The Chinese regime threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs of 34 percent on U.S. imports beginning April 10, leading Trump on Monday to warn he would impose an additional 50 percent duty on Chinese goods. China was perhaps the most significant target of Trump’s tariff announcement last week, with the White House saying that longstanding Chinese trade policies have harmed the American middle class and small towns.
“If China does not withdraw its 34 percent increase above their already long-term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50 percent, effective April 9th,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, meanwhile, said the United States is open to negotiations with Japan due to the country’s “outreach and measured approach.”
