Trump plans to announce first 'major' trade deal on Thursday
By Brett Rowland
The Center Square
President Donald Trump plans to announce his first trade deal with a foreign nation on Thursday after upending the global trade order by imposing tariffs last month.
Trump announced a slate of higher tariffs on foreign nations on April 2, which he dubbed "Liberation Day" for American trade. On April 9, Trump paused those higher rates for 90 days to give his trade team time to make deals with other countries.
Trump said he'd make the announcement at 10 a.m. Thursday in the Oval Office.
He wrote that it was "concerning a MAJOR TRADE DEAL WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF A BIG, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED, COUNTRY. THE FIRST OF MANY!!!"
When Trump temporarily suspended the higher tariffs on April 9, he kept a 10% baseline tariff in place along with a 25% import duty on foreign autos and auto parts. He also kept 25% tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum.
Trump also hit China with 145% tariffs. China retaliated with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Those remain in place, although the two nations are set to begin talks this weekend.
Economists, businesses and many publicly traded companies have warned that tariffs could raise prices on a wide range of consumer products.
Trump has said he wants to use tariffs to restore manufacturing jobs lost to lower-wage countries in decades past, shift the tax burden away from U.S. families, and pay down the national debt.
A tariff is a tax on imported goods. The importer pays the tax and can either absorb the loss or pass the cost on to consumers through higher prices.