logo
US close to reaching several trade deals, says Bessent

US close to reaching several trade deals, says Bessent

RTHK14 hours ago
US close to reaching several trade deals, says Bessent
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says he thinks there will be several big announcements in the coming days. File photo: Reuters
The United States is close to reaching agreements on several trade deals ahead of a July 9 deadline when higher tariffs kick in, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday, predicting several big announcements in coming days.
Bessent told CNN's "State of the Union" programme that the Trump administration would also send out letters to 100 smaller countries with whom the US doesn't have much trade, notifying them that they would face higher tariff rates first set on April 2 and then suspended until July 9.
"President Trump's going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that, if you don't move things along, then on August 1, you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level," Bessent said.
"So I think we're going to see a lot of deals very quickly." (Reuters)
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BRICS leaders renew multilateralism push in Rio summit
BRICS leaders renew multilateralism push in Rio summit

RTHK

time4 hours ago

  • RTHK

BRICS leaders renew multilateralism push in Rio summit

BRICS leaders renew multilateralism push in Rio summit BRICS leaders pose for the customary family photo during the Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Photo: Reuters Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations condemned attacks on Iran, Gaza and Kashmir during their summit on Sunday, presenting the bloc as a defender of multilateral diplomacy while indirectly criticising US military and trade policy. With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and the disruptive "America First" approach of US President Donald Trump, expansion of the BRICS has opened new space for diplomatic coordination. In his opening remarks at the meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva drew a parallel with the Cold War's Non-Aligned Movement, a group of developing nations that resisted joining either side of a polarised global order. "BRICS is the heir to the Non-Aligned Movement," Lula told leaders. "With multilateralism under attack, our autonomy is in check once again." BRICS nations now represent more than half the world's population and 40 percent of its economic output, Lula noted in remarks on Saturday to business leaders warning of rising protectionism. The original BRICS group gathered leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China at its first summit in 2009. The bloc later added South Africa and last year included Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as members. This is the first summit of leaders to include Indonesia. (Reuters)

Elon Musk should worry about his companies, not politics, says Scott Bessent
Elon Musk should worry about his companies, not politics, says Scott Bessent

South China Morning Post

time7 hours ago

  • South China Morning Post

Elon Musk should worry about his companies, not politics, says Scott Bessent

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday threw some shade at Elon Musk after the tech billionaire announced he had created a political party, suggesting the Tesla and SpaceX boss focus on business and not politics. On Saturday, the South African-born Musk – an ally-turned-critic of US President Donald Trump – said he was founding the 'America Party' to challenge what he called the country's 'one-party system'. When asked by CNN if Musk's plan bothered the Trump administration, Bessent offered a thinly veiled criticism of the world's richest person. 'I believe that the boards of directors at his various companies wanted him to come back and run those companies, which he is better at than anyone,' Bessent said. 'So I imagine that those board of directors did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities.' Bessent said the principles of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), which Musk ran for several months as part of Trump's drive to slash government spending and jobs, were 'very popular'. But he added: 'I think, if you looked at the polling, Elon was not.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store