President Donald Trump wants to maintain a 10% tariff on imports from other countries even after trade deals are reached, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Friday.
“The president is committed to the 10% baseline tariff, not just for the United Kingdom, but for his trade negotiations with all other countries as well,” Leavitt said during a press conference.
Leavitt’s comments were a clear affirmation that the baseline tariffs would continue even if the U.S. came to a deal with other nations, in spite of warnings from U.S. realtors, automakers and retailers that tariffs would drive up prices for American consumers.
The press secretary said she spoke to Trump and that he was “determined to continue with that 10% baseline tariff.”
Trump suggested on Thursday that he’d maintain the baseline tariff when he announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom. That deal maintains a 10% tariff on imported goods, which Trump called a “low number,” adding that “they made a good deal.”
“Some will be much higher because they have massive trade surpluses and in many cases they didn’t treat us right,” Trump told reporters of other potential deals with other countries.
Kevin Hassett, the National Economic Council Director, told CNBC last month it would take “some kind of extraordinary deal” for Trump to go below the 10 percent baseline.
Early Friday, Trump said on social media that “80% Tariff on China seems right!” adding that it was “Up to Scott B.” The United States currently imposes a 145% levy on imports from China.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet with Chinese representatives in Switzerland this weekend for trade talks. But Leavitt said Trump’s post wasn’t a statement of a specific policy change.
“The president still remains with his position that he is not going to unilaterally bring down tariffs on China,” Leavitt said.
“As for the 80% number,” she continued, “That was a number the president threw out there, and we’ll see what happens this weekend.”
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Mark Alfred is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.