With less than 10 days until the July 9 "tariff deadline," former U.S. President Donald Trump shows no intention of extending it, as negotiations between the U.S. and multiple nations continue. According to his plan, formal notification letters about new tariff policies will be sent "soon" before the deadline. The letters may state: "Congratulations, we allow you to sell goods in the U.S., and you will pay a 25% (or 35%, 50%, 10%) tariff."
In an interview with Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures," Trump announced that the U.S. would send formal notices to all countries by July 9 to declare new tariff policies. "This is what I want to do and will do. We'll send the letters out sometime before the 9th," he said, adding that face-to-face negotiations would no longer be necessary. "We don't need meetings. We have all the data and know exactly what to do next."
Trump also emphasized that the U.S. would assess how countries treat it. "For some countries we don't care about, we'll directly set very high tariff rates." This stance marks a shift from previous approaches, contrasting sharply with earlier promises from U.S. officials. When Trump paused "reciprocal tariffs" in early April, officials had vowed to reach 90 agreements within 90 days before the pause ended.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett had pledged to finalize a series of agreements as early as this week. Last Friday (27th), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said trade deals might be completed by the U.S. Labor Day (the first Monday in September), relaxing the negotiation timeline.
Facing the upcoming "ultimatum," the EU has little time to seek a unified stance. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted at last week's Brussels summit: "We are ready to reach an agreement, and we are also preparing for the possibility of failing to reach a satisfactory one. In short, all options are on the table."
European leaders are meeting to decide whether to push for a quick trade deal or continue seeking a better one. However, the EU's two largest economies, Germany and France, are clearly divided. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged the EU to reach a "quick and simple" deal rather than a "slow and complicated" one, while French President Emmanuel Macron took a more cautious stance, stressing that France would not accept any unequal terms.
Although Macron also expressed a desire for a pragmatic agreement, he made it clear that if the U.S. maintains a 10% benchmark interest rate, Europe's response must have equivalent impact. "Our goodwill should not be mistaken for weakness," he added. Von der Leyen said the EU received the U.S.'s latest document for further negotiations last Thursday (26th), describing it as a "two-page principle agreement" that avoids delving into specific industrial sectors, according to a EU diplomat.
Currently, the U.S. imposes 50% tariffs on EU steel and aluminum, 25% on cars and auto parts, and 10% on most other EU goods. Trump has threatened to raise these tariffs if no deal is reached. The EU has agreed to impose tariffs on €21 billion of U.S. goods but has not implemented them yet and is discussing further tariffs on up to €95 billion of U.S. imports.
U.S.-Japan negotiations are stuck on auto tariffs. Japan is desperately seeking an exemption from the 25% sector-specific tariff on Japanese automakers, which is harming its manufacturing industry.
Auto tariffs have been the core dispute. Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryo Akasawa visited the U.S. for the seventh time on June 26th but failed to meet with Bessent despite extending his trip. Earlier talks between Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Trump in Canada also yielded no agreement, leaving negotiations deadlocked.
"Under no circumstances can we accept a 25% auto tariff," Akasawa told reporters before departing for Washington. Japan's Kyodo News said Trump's remarks highlighted the tariff as a barrier, deepening the impasse. Trump argued in the Fox interview: "They don't accept our cars, but we send millions of their cars to the U.S. It's unfair, and I've explained this to Japan—they understand." He suggested Japan could reduce the trade deficit by purchasing U.S. oil: "We have a huge trade deficit with Japan, and they know it. Now we have oil—they can take a lot of it and other goods too."
Regarding U.S.-China talks, guided by the consensus of their heads of state, 经贸 teams held talks in London from June 9th to 10th, reaching a principled agreement on implementing the June 5th phone call consensus and consolidating the Geneva talks' framework.
China's Ministry of Commerce said it would lawfully approve export applications for qualified controlled items, while the U.S. would lift some previous restrictions. "We hope the U.S. will work together with China, earnestly implement the June 5th phone call spirit, give full play to the trade consultation mechanism, and promote bilateral economic ties toward health and sustainability," China stated.
On June 28th, a Commerce Ministry spokesperson criticized the U.S. for pushing negotiations with economies and potentially unilaterally setting tariffs for those without deals by July 9th, calling it "typical unilateral bullying" that undermines the multilateral trading system. China has always opposed such practices, stressing that only by upholding principles can legitimate rights be protected.
China advocates resolving disputes through equal consultations, urging all sides to stand for fairness and defend international trade rules. "We firmly oppose any deal that sacrifices China's interests for tariff exemptions. If that happens, we will resolutely counter it," the spokesperson said.
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