Approximately 70 countries have reached out to U.S. President Donald Trump with a proposal to start negotiations on easing the tariffs that have been imposed.
This was reported by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant in an interview with Fox Business.
About 50, 60, or possibly even 70 countries have approached the U.S. administration with an offer to negotiate. So, April, May, and possibly June are expected to be very busy, he said.
Meanwhile, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated that the European Union will introduce the first retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. on April 15, with the next set of tariffs coming on May 15, if no progress is made in negotiations. The EU proposed that Trump set mutual zero tariffs on industrial goods.
We are still open to negotiations with the U.S. We have proposed zero tariffs on industrial goods, as we have already agreed with many trade partners, since Europe is always ready for a good deal. We keep this proposal on the table, said Ursula von der Leyen.
However, Trump rejected this offer, explaining that it was “insufficient.” He urged EU countries to import more energy from the U.S. to offset the trade deficit between the U.S. and the EU.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Europe is preparing countermeasures against the U.S. for mid-April. French President Emmanuel Macron, in turn, noted that the EU needs to respond to Trump’s tariffs by targeting American technologies and services. Specifically, Paris has suggested that the EU introduce a digital services tax on American companies by the end of April.
