The White House confirmed that discussions toward a trade pact with China are moving forward, and noted a surge of interest globally, with 18 official trade offers submitted by foreign governments and over 100 countries expressing interest in forming economic partnerships with the United States.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump temporarily suspended retaliatory tariffs on goods from most foreign countries for 90 days — with China notably excluded from this moratorium. This pause is intended to provide a window for international partners to engage in talks and potentially finalize trade deals. Vice President JD Vance revealed Monday that the U.S. has outlined a trade strategy with India and is nearing an agreement with Japan as well.
Speaking to reporters, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared that she had earlier spoken with top members of the administration’s economic team, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and senior trade advisor Peter Navarro.
“There is a lot of progress being made,” Leavitt stated during her press conference, which was broadcast live via Newsmax and its streaming platform, Newsmax2. “We now have 18 proposals on paper that have been brought to the trade team. Again, these are proposals on paper that countries have proposed to the Trump administration and to our government.
“You have Secretary Bessent, Secretary Lutnick, Ambassador Greer, NEC Director Hassett and Peter Navarro, the entire trade team meeting with 34 countries this week alone. We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people.”
Although she didn’t name the 18 countries that submitted proposals, Leavitt provided an update on where negotiations with China stand. China remains subject to Trump-imposed tariffs as high as 145%, while Beijing countered with 125% duties on American products.
“I asked the president about this before coming out here, and he wanted me to share with all of you that we’re doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China,” said Leavitt, noting that no direct communication has yet occurred between Trump and President Xi Jinping. “As I mentioned, there have now been 18 proposals and more than 100 countries around the world who are wanting to make a deal with the United States of America, and the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China.
“So, we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, and the ball is moving in the right direction.”
Leavitt voiced frustration that the milestone reached between the U.S. and India had been largely overlooked by the media following Vance’s diplomatic visit to New Delhi and his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“And just yesterday, it seemed to get a little bit lost in the news, and I think it’s a disservice to the American public that it did,” Leavitt said. “The vice president announced terms of reference for a trade deal with India. That is a big deal. We know when we look at the numbers, the monetary trade barriers and the nonmonetary trade barriers from India, they have been ripping off the United States and American workers for a very long time.
“So, the fact that the vice president, with Prime Minister Modi on that trip in India, announced these terms of reference, which is essentially a framework to move the ball forward to sign a good trade deal between our two nations, is great progress, and it speaks to the work ethic and the real labor that’s being put into this effort by the president’s trade team.”
{Matzav.com}