Trump Signals Willingness For Future Tariff Deals; But Only After 2 April

US President Donald Trump has said he is open to negotiating tariff agreements with other countries, though such deals would likely come after his administration rolls out new import taxes on 2 April.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump remarked, “It’s possible if we can get something for the deal – but, you know, we’ve been taken advantage of for 40 years, maybe more. It’s just not going to happen anymore. But yeah, I’m certainly open to it.”

His comments were in response to a question about potential arrangements with countries like the UK, which has shown interest in lowering duties on American goods.

When asked if any side would finalize deals before the tariff rollout, Trump responded, “No. Probably later.”

He also confirmed plans to impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals, though he declined to specify the rate.

“It’ll be enough to get the drugs and the pharmaceutical companies bringing their product into our country — we never want to have to rely on other countries, like we did during Covid,” the US President remarked.

The President dismissed any suggestion of tension with Canada, following a phone call with Prime Minister Mark Carney earlier in the day.

“I’ve always loved Canada and we had a very good conversation,” Trump asserted.

US President Donald Trump noted that several countries, including the UK, had approached the US to negotiate trade terms in a bid to avoid the upcoming reciprocal tariffs.

EU Begins Drafting Concessions

Meanwhile, the European Union has begun outlining potential trade concessions aimed at reducing the impact of the planned US tariffs.

Bloomberg, citing sources, reported that EU officials informed during meetings in Washington this week that the upcoming auto and reciprocal tariffs, set for next week, were unavoidable.

Talks also kicked off on outlining a potential deal to lower these tariffs.

In response, the European Commission has started preparing a draft ‘term sheet’ that highlights possible negotiation points.

These include cutting EU tariffs, encouraging more cross-border investments, and reviewing certain regulatory standards.

The Trump administration argues that the reciprocal tariffs are likely to offset what it sees as unfair treatment of US goods, citing non-tariff barriers and tax policies such as the EU’s digital levies and value-added tax (VAT).

However, the EU argues that it applies its VAT uniformly to all goods, both domestic and foreign, without discrimination.

Also Read: Trump Calls Indian Tariffs ‘Brutal’; Remains Hopeful On Trade Deal