White House officials also circulated internal talking points telling surrogates that the tariffs should not be characterized as a starting point for negotiations, according to three people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal matters.
But after markets closed down sharply, Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he would be open to striking deals with individual countries.
“Every country is calling us. That’s the beauty of what we do,” Trump said. “We put ourselves in the driver’s seat. If we would have asked these countries to do us a favor, they would have said no. Now they will do anything for us.”
The diverging statements came as stock markets slumped worldwide on fears of an escalating trade war. On Wednesday, Trump announced a 10 percent tariff that would apply to imports from every country and a separate set of what he called “reciprocal” tariffs that impose a higher country-specific rate. While most analysts expect the 10 percent tariff to remain in place for the rest of Trump’s term, there has been substantial uncertainty about the purpose of the country-specific tariffs, which imposed import duties from 11 percent to 50 percent on dozens of countries.
Disclaimer
The information contained in South Florida Reporter is for general information purposes only.
The South Florida Reporter assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in the contents of the Service.
In no event shall the South Florida Reporter be liable for any special, direct, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages or any damages whatsoever, whether in an action of contract, negligence or other tort, arising out of or in connection with the use of the Service or the contents of the Service. The Company reserves the right to make additions, deletions, or modifications to the contents of the Service at any time without prior notice.
The Company does not warrant that the Service is free of viruses or other harmful components
