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President Donald Trump on Monday dismissed the idea of pausing tariffs to create space for negotiations with trading partners. Speaking at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he said the U.S. was not considering such a move as multiple countries were already approaching to strike new agreements.
He stated that the U.S. has many countries coming forward to negotiate deals, which he described as fair deals. In certain situations, he added, these countries would be paying substantial tariffs as part of those agreements.
Trump also doubled down on his warning to China, saying he would impose an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports if Beijing went ahead with its plan to raise tariffs by 34% on American goods.
Netanyahu Becomes First Foreign Leader to Address Tariff Concerns
During the meeting, Netanyahu became the first international leader to directly appeal to Trump on the issue of tariffs. Before departing for Washington, he emphasized the importance of the trip, saying he was the first foreign leader to meet with the U.S. President on a matter so crucial to Israel’s economy.
He mentioned that many world leaders were waiting for such a chance and added that this meeting reflected the special personal relationship and unique bond between the United States and Israel, especially at a time when global trade policies are shifting rapidly.
Trump Targets China’s Trade Practices
As the discussion turned to China, Trump accused the country of continuing a pattern of unfair trade practices. He pointed to China’s use of illegal subsidization, currency manipulation, and already high tariffs as evidence of this behavior.
Referring to China’s latest move, he said that the country had issued retaliatory tariffs of 34%, which were added on top of what he called already record-setting tariffs. He warned that any country responding to the U.S. with more tariffs beyond long-standing practices would face even steeper U.S. penalties.
Trump made it clear that if China did not withdraw its planned tariff increase by April 8th, the United States would respond decisively. He said that starting April 9th, the U.S. would impose additional tariffs of 50% on Chinese imports.
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