President Donald Trump announced on Friday that the U.S. will begin notifying many trading partners individually about new tariff rates, admitting his administration cannot negotiate tariff deals with more than 50 countries by the self-imposed early July deadline.
Following his broad tariff plan in April—which triggered market turmoil and a global trade war—Trump paused new duties for all affected countries except China, allowing some to negotiate with U.S. trade officials. However, speaking at a business event in the UAE, Trump said with 150 countries seeking deals, it’s simply impossible to meet everyone.
Instead, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will send letters over the next two to three weeks outlining the tariffs countries will pay to trade with the U.S. The president did not specify which countries would receive letters immediately and which might still negotiate.
Around 60 trading partners faced reciprocal tariffs of up to 50 percent in April, along with a 10 percent baseline tariff on all foreign imports.
A White House spokesperson emphasized Trump’s focus on reducing the trade deficit and leveling the playing field for American workers. An insider said the administration plans to impose fixed tariffs after July, while some deals will be negotiated later.
This is the first public acknowledgment that the goal of securing dozens of trade agreements in three months was overly ambitious. Though the administration concentrated on a dozen key partners, Trump continued to promise rapid deals.
Progress with important Asian partners like South Korea and Japan has slowed, despite initial hopes. Meanwhile, Trump touted a recent “fantastic trade deal” with the U.K.—the first since the tariff rollout—though the U.K. avoided the higher reciprocal tariffs, facing only the baseline and some sector-specific tariffs.
The baseline 10 percent tariff remains in place even for countries with trade surpluses, making some partners like the European Union skeptical about potential deals.
Trump also mentioned ongoing trade talks with China, saying the deal is still forming and China “wanted to make that deal very badly.” Earlier this week, the U.S. and China agreed to reduce tariffs temporarily, but Trump set a 90-day deadline to finalize a broader deal, after which tariffs could return.