US President Donald Trump has said that he wants to do “what’s right for the United States and the world” on tariffs. Speaking to media at the White House, the Trump also claimed that more than 75 countries want to make a trade deal with the United States.
I Like President Xi: Trump
Trump, who was responding to a question on whether he would speak to or meet China’s President Xi Jinping, said, “He's a friend of mine — I like President Xi. I like him, I respect him. But they haven’t treated our country fairly. I’ve spoken with him, and with leaders from other countries — Japan is here, South Korea is here, others are here — and we’re trying to work through these issues.”
Everybody Wants A Deal: Trump
Trump also reiterated that “everyone wants to make a deal with the US’ and added, “From what I hear, it’s much more than 75. I said '75 plus,' so everybody wants to make a deal, actually. And we want to do what’s right for our country. We also want to do what’s right for the world. The world is important — I mean, it’s the world, right? And I think we’re going to make a lot of people very happy. I believe investing in the United States of America will be the greatest investment anyone’s ever made."
Trump’s Tariff Pause
Earlier during the day, the US President announced a 90-day pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs, reducing tariff rates for most US trade partners to 10%. However, he increased tariff on China to 125%, accusing it of showing a “lack of respect to the world’s markets.” President Trump’s tariff reversal came within hours of these reciprocal tariffs kicking in. It also followed China’s decision to raise its retaliatory tariff on American exports to 84%.
