Negotiations over tariffs remain in flux after an urgent meeting between Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday. According to two individuals who requested anonymity to disclose private discussions, Bessent traveled south to urge the president to redirect his rhetoric toward achieving favorable trade agreements—a move he believes is essential to stabilizing the markets.
“Bessent flew down to Florida last night to tell Trump to knock it off,” one source said, emphasizing how Bessent warned that continued tariff talk without a clear endgame could rattle investors and push the market into deeper turmoil.
While arriving back at the White House on Marine One, Bessent reportedly stressed that the administration’s hardline stance might backfire unless there is more focus on winning concrete deals with other countries. The urgency of this strategy became apparent as Trump, soon after, publicly signaled readiness to reach broad agreements with nations around the world.
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“We are likewise dealing with many other countries, all of whom want to make a deal with the United States,” Trump noted in one of his posts.
The president’s remarks echoed broader claims that his administration is involved in active talks across the globe. In the last week alone, he highlighted potential tariff reductions by Vietnam and Taiwan, both of which reportedly aim to eliminate barriers in exchange for open access to US markets.
Despite these optimistic signals, skepticism remains. National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated that “more than 50 countries have reached out to the president to begin a negotiation,” yet details remain unclear.
This uncertainty resonates loudly as Trump claims that China “also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started.” This comes after the US imposed a 104% tariff on Beijing in response to China’s retaliatory tariff to Trump’s first levy hike.
Beyond Asia, the European Commission appears poised to unveil a series of retaliatory measures targeting approximately $28 billion worth of American goods, reflecting how the tariff conflict extends far beyond bilateral issues. Items such as meat, wine, lumber, clothing, and daily consumer products all risk facing new duties.
Doubts on the intention of the White House to negotiate fairer deals also intensified after it was reported that Vietnam offered a “zero tariff” deal between the two countries and the Trump administration seems to be unimpressed. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro dismissed Vietnam’s overture as meaningless, emphasizing the administration’s focus on non-tariff issues and accusing foreign governments of years of hidden “cheating.”
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