Topline
President Donald Trump on Friday suggested he could extend, or more likely shorten, the 90-day pause on the “Liberation Day” tariffs he imposed in April as the fate of his goal of making “90 deals in 90 days” remains in doubt.
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Brady Briefing Room of the White House … More
Key Facts
Trump said “we could extend it, we could make it shorter, I’d like to make it shorter,” when asked by a reporter if the July 9 deadline still holds as the date when he promised the levies would go back into effect.
Trump made the comments after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alluded a day earlier to the possibility he could adjust the deadline.
Trump and Leavitt also suggested Trump would impose new tariff rates on countries that fail to negotiate new agreements with the Trump administration: “we can do whatever we want . . . I’d like to just send letters out to everybody [that say] ‘congratulations, you’re paying 25%,’” while Leavitt told reporters Thursday “the president can pick a reciprocal tariff rate that he believes is advantageous for the United States, and for the American worker.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also predicted to the House Ways and Means Committee earlier this month that it was “highly likely” Trump would push back the July deadline.
Trump has promised to make “90 deals in 90 days” during the tariff pause, but so far has only announced new trade deals with China and the United Kingdom.
Tangent
Trump also said Friday the U.S. would cease trade talks with Canada after it announced a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies. “We will let Canada know the Tariff that they will be paying to do business with the United States of America within the next seven day period,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. Canada and Mexico are not subject to the Liberation Day tariffs or the freeze.
What To Watch For
Trump teased Thursday the U.S. has a trade deal “coming up maybe with India,” describing it as a “very big one.” White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett also told Fox Business on Tuesday “we know that we’re very, very close to a few countries,” and predicting they would be announced after Congress passes Trump’s signature spending and policy legislation.
Key Background
Trump announced a pause in Liberation Day tariffs for all countries assigned a tax above the baseline 10%. He also delayed a 50% tariff he threatened to impose on imports from the European Union. Experts have predicted the deadline for lifting the pause could change, citing the difficulty of achieving 90 deals in 90 days.
Further Reading
Trump’s Steel Tariff Hike Takes Effect—Here Are The 22 Times He’s Changed His Mind On Tariffs (Forbes)
Supreme Court Asked To Take Up Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs (Forbes)
Trump’s Tariffs Are Slowing Down U.S. And Global Economy, OECD Says (Forbes(
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/06/27/trump-says-deadline-for-tariff-negotiations-isnt-firm-after-all/