Washington, D.C. — National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Sunday that the “rough outlines” of several trade deals are coming together ahead of a critical tariff deadline this week. Appearing on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan, Hassett pointed to recent agreements with the U.K. and Vietnam as possible templates for upcoming deals.
“There’s going to be quite a bit of news this week,” Hassett said. “I think the headline will be that several deals are finalized.”
President Trump’s 90-day pause on sweeping new tariffs is set to expire Wednesday. Since announcing the temporary freeze, the administration has promoted progress in trade negotiations with key countries including China, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. However, uncertainty remains, as not all negotiations have reached a conclusion.
Back on April 2, President Trump introduced a 10% baseline tariff on nearly all U.S. trading partners, while also increasing tariffs on a wide range of countries. Just days later, after market turmoil, the administration paused most of the new tariffs for 90 days—though a steep 30% tariff on Chinese imports was implemented.
Hassett noted that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has been actively working on a series of deals with foreign governments. For countries where talks aren’t far enough along, formal letters will be sent this week. President Trump said Friday that around a dozen nations will receive those letters beginning Monday.
While Hassett didn’t reveal which countries would get the notices, he said both major and minor trading partners could be affected. He also suggested some deals could come together at the last minute, advising patience: “Until we see how everything plays out, we just need to hold our fire and watch the news unfold this week.”
Asked by CBS’s Weijia Jiang whether the administration might extend the tariff pause for top trading partners if talks stall, Hassett said the U.S. remains open to dialogue.
“There are deadlines, and some deals are close,” he said. “Maybe some things will get pushed past the deadline, or maybe not. Ultimately, the president will make that decision.”
President Trump has indicated that the tariffs are likely to go into effect on August 1. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed on CNN’s State of the Union that letters will warn countries: “If you don’t move things along, then on Aug. 1, you’ll revert to your April 2 tariff level.” Bessent clarified this isn’t a new deadline—rather, “this is when it’s happening.”
Hassett defended the administration’s trade strategy, saying it’s already having an impact. “Countries are responding to President Trump’s tariff threats by shifting activity into the U.S., and that’s creating jobs,” he said.
“There’s a race right now to move operations into the U.S., and in part, that race has been triggered by President Trump,” Hassett added.
