Washington DC [US]: As global markets reel from the impact of the latest tariff announcements, US President Donald Trump has made it clear that there will be no pause in his administration’s tariff imposition during ongoing negotiations with foreign countries.
No Tariff Pause During Talks
During a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, Trump addressed speculation about potential delays in tariff enforcement:
“We’re not looking at that,” Trump asserted. “We have many countries to negotiate deals with us, and they’re going to be fair deals. In certain cases, they’re going to be paying substantial tariffs.”
Sharp Message to China
Trump directly called out China, warning of a dramatic escalation in tariffs if Beijing fails to back down from its recent retaliatory move—a 34% increase on US goods.
“If that tariff isn’t removed by tomorrow at 12 o’clock, we’re putting a 50 per cent [tariff] on top of what we already imposed. China has become a rich country because of people who were in the White House before me,” he said.
Trump clarified that while he values his relationship with President Xi Jinping, the trade practices of China have placed an unfair burden on the US economy:
“We have $36 trillion in debt for a reason… what they’ve done to our system is incredible.”
Permanent vs Negotiated Tariffs
Trump left open the possibility of both permanent tariffs and flexible negotiations, depending on the outcomes with individual countries:
“There could be permanent tariffs, and there could also be negotiations. We’re going to get fair deals with every country — and if we don’t, we’re going to have nothing to do with them.”
Criticism of EU Trade Policies
The US President didn’t hold back in criticizing the European Union, calling it a trade bloc formed to disadvantage American industry:
“The EU has been very bad to us. They send millions of cars into the US, but we don’t sell any to them. They don’t take our agricultural products either. It’s almost like a monopoly against the United States,” Trump claimed.
EU Responds with Caution and Readiness
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded via X, reiterating that the EU is open to negotiations but is also prepared for retaliation if necessary:
“Europe is ready to negotiate with the US. We have offered zero-for-zero tariffs for industrial goods. But we’re also prepared to respond with countermeasures and protect ourselves from indirect effects through trade diversion,” she stated.