Trump administration asks countries to submit offers for new trade deals by Wednesday [View all]

Source: Spectrum News NY1

PUBLISHED 5:16 PM ET Jun. 03, 2025


WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration is setting a Wednesday deadline for countries impacted by his sweeping tariffs to submit their best offer for a new trade agreement with the U.S., White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed. Speaking at Tuesday’s press briefing, Leavitt told reporters that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative sent a letter to trading partners informing them of the request, describing it as a “friendly reminder” as the pause Trump issued on his “reciprocal” tariffs is set to expire in just weeks.

“I can confirm the merits and the content of the letter,” Leavitt said in response to a question about a Reuters report on the letters. “USTR sent this letter to all of our trading partners just to give them a friendly reminder that the deadline is coming up.” She went on to note that Trump’s trade team in talks on new deals with countries, adding the administration is “on track” to make good deals that are tailor-made to specific nations.

The administration has been engaged in negotiations with trading partners after Trump issued a 90-day pause – set to lapse in the second week of July – on the new country-specific tariff rates he announced on what he deemed “Liberation Day.” But since then, Trump has said that his team would not have time for conversations with every trading partner that wants to make an agreement, telling reporters traveling with him to the United Arab Emirates last month that his administration was set to begin independently informing other countries of the tariff rate the U.S. will charge them.

The new deadline, however, comes amid major uncertainty surrounding the future of Trump’s wide scale tariff agenda after a series of court rulings last week.

Read more: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/triad/news/2025/06/03/president-trump-trade-deals-tariffs-letters-karoline-leavitt-deadline