Trump Races Against Tariff Deadline in Talks with India, Vietnam, Israel: Report
According to a CNN report, US President Donald Trump is currently negotiating with representatives from India, Israel, and Vietnam to hammer out trade deals. These discussions are underway as a critical deadline looms, threatening new tariffs on imports from these nations if no agreements are finalized.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump revealed that Vietnam’s Communist Party General Secretary has signaled a willingness to slash their tariffs to zero, contingent on striking a trade deal with the United States.
CNN reports suggest Trump is pursuing bilateral trade pacts that could head off the planned tariffs. These negotiations with a handful of countries are viewed as the opening move in a larger wave of trade talks, though these nations make up only a small slice of those impacted by Trump’s tariff strategy.
Meanwhile, China and Canada have vowed to hit back with their own tariffs in retaliation. CNN, citing a senior White House official, noted that these reciprocal tariffs are slated to kick in on April 9 at 12:01 am ET.
Also read: India Denies Promising Tariff Cuts After Trump’s Statement
What Trump’s Inner Circle Is Signaling
Eric Trump, the president’s son, took to X to weigh in, writing, “I wouldn’t want to be the last country to try to negotiate with @realdonaldtrump. The first to negotiate will win — the last will absolutely lose. I have seen this movie my entire life.”
Trump himself hinted at flexibility in trade talks during a Thursday chat with reporters aboard Air Force One. “Every country has called us,” he said. “That’s the beauty of what we do, we put ourselves in the driver’s seat. As long as they are giving us something that’s good.” He added, “For instance, with TikTok as an example, we have a situation with TikTok where China will probably say, ‘We’ll approve a deal, but will you do something on the tariffs?’ The tariffs give us great power to negotiate. They always have.”
Also read: China Imposes 34% Additional Tariffs On US Goods, Retaliation Against Trump’s Move
New Tariffs Announced
On April 2, Trump rolled out fresh tariffs aimed at India, Vietnam, and Israel as part of his “reciprocal trade” policy. Starting April 9, India’s exports to the US will face a 26% tariff, Vietnam a 46% tariff, and Israel a 17% tariff.