White House: President Trump is prioritizing negotiations with 2 Asian countries

According to Yonhap news agency, US President Donald Trump is prioritizing negotiations with two allies South Korea and Japan, in the context that dozens of countries are seeking to negotiate with Washington on new tariffs.

US President's economic adviser Kevin Hassett speaks at a press conference in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Kevin Hassett, Director of the US National Economic Council, made the above statements in an interview with Fox News. Last week, President Trump announced a basic tariff of 10% and higher reciprocal tariffs on many economies that the US administration called a list of "worst violators". Of which, South Korea and Japan were respectively subject to reciprocal tariffs of 25% and 24% by the US.

“It’s clear that he’s prioritizing two of our closest allies and trading partners, Japan and South Korea,” Hassett said, noting that the Trump administration is currently dealing with a huge number of negotiating demands that he said are “quite logistically difficult to execute.”

“And the tone that came out of those conversations was really positive… and really positive for American workers and farmers,” Kevin Hassett said, adding that “there are a lot of concessions being made” but did not provide details.

“Ultimately, of course, it will be the president who decides whether the deal is good enough for him to change his decision on tariffs,” he made clear.

During a Senate hearing, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Trump administration is open to “alternative” ideas from trading partners in pursuit of “reciprocity” in trade. The US Trade Representative revealed that nearly 50 countries have approached him to discuss President Trump’s new tariffs and want to find ways to achieve “reciprocity” in trade.

"When countries approach us, we tell them that if you have a better idea to achieve 'reciprocity' and reduce the trade deficit with us, we want to talk to you (and) we want to negotiate with you," he said.

Jamieson Greer also noted that countries' trade barriers such as export subsidies, unfair trade practices and other forms of non-reciprocal treatment are at issue. "So those are the kinds of things that need to be addressed. I don't want to prejudge the negotiations, but if they can come up with an alternative plan that would advance those goals, I think we'd be open to that," the USTR added.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/the-gioi/nha-trang-tong-thong-trump-dang-uu-tien-dam-phan-voi-2-quoc-gia-chau-a-20250409071740063.htm