The White House on Tuesday said it sent letters to all of its trade partners pressuring them to submit their best offers as it rushes to clinch deals before a July tariff deadline.
President Trump’s “reciprocal” tariff rates on foreign nations are scheduled to take effect July 8 after a three-month pause unless trade deals are made in time.
“USTR [United States Trade Representative] sent this letter to all of our trading partners just to give them a friendly reminder that the deadline is coming up,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
“The president expects good deals, and we are on track for that,” she continued.
The letter was earlier reported by Reuters, who said the Trump administration was asking countries for their best offers by Wednesday on tariffs, quotas for purchases of US products and plans to kill other non-tariff barriers.
Other requests included best offers on digital trade, economic security and country-specific commitments, according to the report.
“Productive negotiations with many key trading partners continue at a rapid pace,” a USTR representative told The Post in a statement.
“It is in all parties’ interest to take stock of progress and assess any next steps.”
The letter is meant as a progress check on trade partners, not necessarily a request for a final offer, an official close to the matter told The Post.
Within days of receipt, the US will evaluate the proposed offer and put forth “a possible landing zone,” which could include tariffs, according to Reuters.
The US has been in active trade talks with several partners, including the European Union, Japan, India and Vietnam.
In late May, the White House sent a “long” list of “tough” requests to Vietnam, which is currently staring down a 46% “reciprocal” levy, sources briefed on the matter told Reuters.
That list includes demands for Vietnam factories to slash their use of materials and components from China, a source told Reuters.
Meanwhile, Trump’s tariffs are ensnared in legal challenges after the US Court of International Trade last Wednesday moved to block most of them – excluding his levies on steel, aluminum and auto parts and cars.
The White House quickly filed an appeal and requested a stay on the order in the meantime, which an appeals court granted on Thursday.
“If the Courts somehow rule against us on Tariffs, which is not expected, that would allow other Countries to hold our Nation hostage with their anti-American Tariffs that they would use against us,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday.
“This would mean the Economic ruination of the United States of America!”
He has demanded the Supreme Court swiftly take up the matter.
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