Trump letters and who's talking: State of play as tariff deadline nears

Time of India

2 days ago

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday his administration is close to finalizing several trade agreements in the coming days and will notify other countries of higher tariff rates by July 9, with the higher rates scheduled to take effect on August 1.Despite promises to work on 90 deals in 90 days, Trump and his team have been able to complete only a limited deal with Britain and a not well-defined agreement with Vietnam. A long-promised deal with India has remained elusive.Here's the state of play for several U.S. trading partners facing deadlines this week:U.S. officials said they were making good progress with the 27-member European Union, after its top trade negotiator Maros Sefcovic met with officials in Washington last week. EU diplomats said talks were continuing but they had not achieved a breakthrough as of Friday.One EU diplomat said the bloc's regulations on social media and other technology companies, stricter than those in the U.S., were not up for negotiation, and a 17% tariff proposed by the U.S. side on agriculture and food exports remained a big hurdle.EU officials have said they are open to a U.S. deal that would apply a universal 10% tariff on many of its exports, but want to secure exemptions from sectoral tariffs already in place or planned for pharmaceuticals, alcohol, semiconductors, and commercial aircraft, Bloomberg reported.The EU is also pushing for U.S. quotas and exemptions to effectively ease Washington's 25% tariff on automobiles and auto parts, as well as its 50% tariff on steel and aluminum, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.Japan says it is continuing to seek an agreement with the U.S. while defending its national interest. Japan's tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held "in-depth exchanges" over the phone with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Thursday and Saturday, the Japanese government said.The discussions came after Trump this week hammered Japan over what he said was Tokyo's reluctance to import U.S.-grown rice, and accusing Japan of engaging in "unfair" autos trade. He has also called on Japan to import more U.S. oil.On Monday, Trump said Japan could be among those receiving a tariff letter, and suggested it could face duties of up to 35%.Trump has long promised a trade deal with India, but talks have stalled on disagreements over U.S. tariffs on auto components, steel and agricultural goods.India, which is facing 26% tariffs on its exports to the U.S., has signaled it is ready to slash its high tariff rates for the U.S. but has not conceded on Washington's demands for opening up the agriculture and dairy sectors.On Friday, New Delhi also proposed retaliatory duties against the U.S. at the World Trade Organization , saying Washington's separate 25% tariff on automobiles and some auto parts would affect $2.89 billion of India's exports.Indonesia has offered to cut duties on key imports from the United States to "near zero" and to buy $500 million worth of U.S. wheat as part of its tariff talks to avert a 32% tariff rate. State-owned carrier Garuda Indonesia also plans to buy more Boeing planes as part of a $34 billion pact with U.S. partners due to be signed this week.Accused by some other countries of excessive red tape, Indonesia eased import licensing requirements for some goods and waived import restrictions on plastics, chemical products and other industrial raw materials on June 30, a goodwill gesture ahead of the July 9 deadline. Indonesia has also invited the U.S. to jointly invest in a state-owned Indonesian minerals project as part of its tariff negotiations.Despite frequent rounds of talks and some preliminary agreements, South Korea had said it would seek an extension on Trump's July 9 deadline, although talks will continue this week.Wi Sung-lac, President Lee Jae Myung's national security adviser, plans to visit Washington during July 6-8 to discuss a range of bilateral issues. The country's trade minister, Yeo Han-koo was also due to meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and other U.S. officials.South Korea already imposes virtually no tariffs on U.S. imported goods under a free-trade agreement, and so the U.S. has focused on other issues, including foreign exchange rates and defense costs. Trump often complains about the cost-sharing arrangement for the 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.Thailand is making a last-ditch effort to avert a 36% tariff by offering greater market access for U.S. farm and industrial goods, along with increased purchases of U.S. energy and Boeing jets, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira told Bloomberg News on Sunday.Thailand's proposals have included reducing its own tariffs, purchasing more American goods and increasing investments.Thailand's initial proposal included measures to enhance market access for U.S. exports and tackle transshipment violations, as well as Thai investment that would create U.S. jobs. Bangkok said also pledged to import more U.S. natural gas and cut tariffs on imports of corn from the United States.Switzerland is exploring what concessions it can make to avert a 31% tariff rate on goods it ships to the U.S., including granting the U.S. greater market access for produce like seafood and citrus fruits.But as home to pharmaceutical giants Roche and Novartis, both big U.S. investors, Switzerland also wants assurances that it can avert pharmaceutical tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose at a later date.