Major US trading partners scrambled over the weekend to finalize trade deals or lobby for extra time as President donald trump said he’s notifying about a dozen countries on Monday of the new tariff level on their shipments to the US.
“I signed some letters and they’ll go out on Monday – probably 12,” trump told reporters over the Fourth of July weekend, adding that the missives involve “different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs and somewhat different statements.”
Asked to identify the countries, he said, “I have to announce it on Monday.”
Trump’s latest remarks suggest talks remain fluid and deals elusive, three days before the July 9 deadline announced by the US administration.
The letters initially were supposed to go out on July 4 with a tariff imposition date of Aug. 1, based on Trump’s earlier comments. But US officials were busily negotiating through the holiday weekend, including with Japan, South Korea, the European Union, India and Vietnam.
