Catenaa, Friday, May 16, 2025– US President Donald Trump said on Friday tariffs rate for US trading partners will be set over the next two to three weeks, as his administration lacks the capacity to negotiate deals with all trading partners.
Trump said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will be sending letters out, essentially telling people what they’ll be paying to do business in the United States.
“I think we’re going to be very fair. But it’s not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us,” Trump said during a meeting with business executives in the UAE.
Trump said there are “150 countries that want to make a deal,” and that the countries that would get letters on their tariffs to export to the US could appeal it.
While the Trump administration is prioritizing trade talks with more than a dozen nations, a lack of manpower and capacity makes it impossible to hold concurrent negotiations with all the countries caught up in the president’s so-called reciprocal tariffs plan.
Earlier this month, Trump said he would simply dictate tariff levels for many nations looking to avoid higher duties.
Negotiations are still ongoing with several economies, including Japan, South Korea, India and the European Union. Trump recently agreed to a trade framework with the UK and to a mutual temporary tariff reduction with China to buy more time for talks.
The US president said Thursday that New Delhi made an offer to drop tariffs on US goods, a proposal that the Indian government did not confirm.
“We have four or five other deals coming immediately,” Trump said on May 9, as he touted his UK blueprint. “We have many deals coming down the line. Ultimately, we’re just signing the rest of them in.
