The U.S. is still engaged in trade negotiations during a temporary pause on aggressive “reciprocal tariffs,” but President Donald Trump said he could instead send letters to countries that set the rates they will face.
“I’d rather just send them a letter, very fair letter, saying, ‘Congratulations, we’re going to allow you to trade in the United States of America. You’re gonna pay a 25% tariff or 20% or 40% or 50%,’” Trump replied. “I would rather do that.”
When asked if the pause will not be extended, he said, “I don’t think I’ll need to because—I could—there’s no big deal.”
Trump further clarified his stance on the July 9 deadline, saying, “I’m gonna send letters. That’s the end of the trade deal.”
He then singled out Japan to give a hypothetical example of a letter: “I could send one to Japan. ‘Dear Mr. Japan, here’s the story: You’re going to pay a 25% tariff on your cars.’”
The letters would explain tariff rates by citing the trade deficits with each country and how well it treats the U.S., Trump added, suggesting that negotiations won’t be necessary in some cases.
“Some countries, we don’t care. We’ll, you know, we’ll just send a high number out,” he predicted. “But we’re going to be sending letters out starting pretty soon. No, we don’t have to meet. We understand. We have all the numbers.”
Meanwhile, Trump previously vowed to send similar tariff letters in May and earlier this month, though negotiations continued. White House officials have been saying for weeks that big trade deals are imminent.
But Trump’s latest comments could indicate a tougher line or increased impatience. On Friday, Trump said he is ending all trade talks with Canada immediately, citing its plan to levy digital services taxes on U.S. tech giants.
