The White House confirms that more than a dozen formal trade proposals are currently under review, with nearly three dozen countries expected to participate in negotiations this week. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the administration is pushing forward at “Trump speed” to finalize new trade agreements aimed at reshaping the global economic landscape and protecting U.S. industries.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Leavitt says President Donald Trump believes the United States is “doing very well” in current discussions with China and remains optimistic about the possibility of a landmark bilateral agreement. However, she reiterates the administration’s commitment to enforcing Trump’s recently announced tariff policy, which sets a July 2025 deadline for implementing broad reciprocal tariffs if trade imbalances are not addressed.
“These proposals are not just talk,” Leavitt says. “They’re on paper, they’re being actively negotiated, and our goal is to deliver real results for the American worker.” The White House has not publicly named all countries involved but has confirmed that the U.S. Trade Representative’s office will meet with officials from European, Latin American, and Asian economies over the next two weeks.
President Trump’s tariff plan, unveiled earlier this month, includes a baseline 10% tariff on all imports from countries that maintain higher tariffs on U.S. goods, with additional levies targeting China, the European Union, and Japan. The policy is framed as a response to decades of trade deficits and structural imbalances, which Trump argues have hollowed out domestic manufacturing and placed American farmers and small businesses at a disadvantage.
“We’re not going to let other countries take advantage of us anymore,” Trump said during a recent rally in Pennsylvania. “Reciprocal means fair. If they charge us, we’re going to charge them.”
While talks with China have reportedly resumed after a months-long stalemate, Beijing has not officially responded to Trump’s latest tariff threats. Analysts say Chinese trade officials are weighing their options carefully, especially as China’s economy grapples with deflation, shrinking exports, and weakening domestic demand.
Meanwhile, Trump administration officials are accelerating talks with allied countries to secure revised trade frameworks and deter reliance on Chinese supply chains. Countries including Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and India are rumored to be in advanced negotiations for partial exemptions or new bilateral deals that could offer more favorable tariff terms.
Leavitt says the administration is open to a wide variety of deal structures, including sector-specific agreements for critical industries such as semiconductors, green energy, agriculture, and rare earth minerals. The goal, she says, is to both safeguard national security and restore domestic manufacturing competitiveness.
Critics warn, however, that the threat of across-the-board tariffs risks inflaming tensions with long-standing allies and could lead to price hikes on consumer goods. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and several major business coalitions have voiced concern about the potential impact on global supply chains and inflation.
Despite those concerns, the White House is moving forward with what it calls the most aggressive trade reset in modern history. “We are not just playing defense anymore,” Leavitt says. “We’re rewriting the rules.”
This new push follows years of debate over trade liberalization and protectionism, reignited by Trump’s return to office and his commitment to policies reminiscent of his first term. During his 2017–2021 presidency, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, renegotiated NAFTA as the USMCA, and imposed tariffs on steel, aluminum, and Chinese goods—moves that earned both praise and criticism.
As the July tariff deadline approaches, attention now turns to whether foreign governments will concede to Washington’s demands or trigger a new wave of global trade retaliation. Either way, the Trump administration appears committed to using tariffs as leverage to reshape America’s role in the global economy.
