U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Wednesday that he plans to send formal notices to major global economies outlining his proposed trade tariffs within the next two weeks, ahead of a self-imposed July 9 deadline for reaching trade agreements with his administration.
“At some point, we’re just going to issue letters saying, ‘this is the deal’—take it or leave it,” Trump told reporters at the Kennedy Center. “We’ll be sending those out in about a week and a half to two weeks.”
He noted that negotiations are currently underway with countries including Japan, South Korea, and roughly 15 others.
However, it remains uncertain whether Trump will enforce the July 9 deadline. The president has previously set similar two- to three-week deadlines for trade decisions, which have often been extended or passed without immediate action.
When asked if he might postpone the deadline again, Trump replied, “I would, but I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.”
The proposed tariffs—dubbed “liberation day” tariffs by the administration—are scheduled to go into effect in early July. Originally announced in April, they were delayed by a 90-day extension to allow more time for negotiations. Trump has warned that steep tariffs will be imposed on major U.S. trading partners that fail to strike a deal with Washington.
To date, the U.S. has only finalized a trade agreement with the United Kingdom and recently announced a preliminary trade framework with China.
Trump claimed Wednesday that the trade deal with China is “done” and that the U.S. had secured access to rare earth mineral supplies from the country. However, no additional details were provided regarding the terms of the agreement.
