The ongoing global tariff plan by President Trump continues to attract attention. Currently, the Trump administration is engaged in trade negotiations with multiple countries in hopes of reaching bilateral trade agreements. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated on Friday that allies have been reaching out to the United States, clearly indicating their need for America.
Trump’s imposition of tariffs on allies and trade partners has sparked dissatisfaction among many. During a press conference on Friday, a reporter questioned why U.S. allies are cooperating with Washington in isolating the CCP in the trade war, despite treating friends and foes equally. Leavitt responded by saying, “You need to ask ‘our allies’.”
“The phones are ringing off the hook. They (U.S. allies) are making it clear that they need the United States,” Leavitt said.
“They need our market. They need our consumer base. You see, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel met with President Trump in the Oval Office and stated that he will lower all their currency tariffs and non-currency tariff trade barriers. We hear the voices of South Korea. We hear the voices of Japan,” she added.
Leavitt also mentioned that President Trump has already had talks with Vietnam. The Italian leader is set to visit the White House next week. This is happening because they need the U.S., they need American business models and markets to survive, and the president is leveraging this advantage for America.
Regarding U.S.-China trade, Leavitt stated that President Trump has clearly expressed his willingness to reach an agreement with China. However, it would not be favorable for China if Beijing continues to retaliate.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in an interview with Fox News on Friday, commented that the latest retaliatory actions taken by the CCP in the trade war with the U.S. are “regrettable.”
He also mentioned that the U.S. has not initiated trade negotiations with Beijing yet. When asked if there have been any discussions between the U.S. and China, Greer replied, “Not at this time.”
Xi Jinping, the CCP leader, met with Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez in Beijing on Friday, stating that China and Europe should work together to uphold “the trend of economic globalization and the international trade environment” and resist U.S. tariffs.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou expressed the view that the idea of China replacing the U.S. as a trade partner is both naive and dangerous.