During a notable meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, President Donald Trump expressed a surprising perspective on trade negotiations, suggesting that the United States has no pressing need to finalize agreements with its trading partners. This statement comes despite repeated assertions from senior White House officials that securing such deals has been a primary objective of the administration.
“Everyone says, ‘when, when, when are you going to sign deals?'” Trump remarked, conveying his irritation over the expectations surrounding trade agreements during a session at the White House.
“We don’t have to sign deals, they have to sign deals with us. They want a piece of our market. We don’t want a piece of their market,” he added, indicating a significant shift in language regarding trade policy.
While the administration has consistently highlighted interest from multiple countries in engaging in bilateral trade negotiations with the U.S., there have been no announcements regarding concrete agreements or frameworks to date.
“I wish they’d … stop asking, how many deals are you signing this week?” Trump continued, clearly frustrated by the ongoing pressure for the White House to demonstrate tangible progress in trade discussions. “Because one day we’ll come and we’ll give you 100 deals,” he promised.
Trump’s comments signaled a departure from statements made earlier by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who suggested on Finance Newso that the U.S. was “very close to some deals.” The discrepancy in messaging has raised eyebrows, particularly as both the president and his Treasury Secretary had previously suggested that agreements might soon materialize.
In a discussion aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump indicated that “there could very well be” trade deals announced that week, assuring reporters that ultimately, he would dictate the terms of any agreements.
At a town hall event last week, Trump referred to “potential deals” with countries including India, South Korea, and Japan. He expressed optimism about negotiations with India, stating they were “coming along great,” and suggested that a deal with India was likely.
However, on Tuesday, Trump criticized his senior advisors like Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick for allegedly setting unrealistic expectations regarding trade deals.
“I think my people haven’t made it clear, we will sign some deals,” Trump asserted. “But much bigger than that is we’re going to put down the price that people are going to have to pay to shop in the United States. Think of us as a super luxury store, a store that has the goods.”
Following these remarks, U.S. markets experienced a downturn in the afternoon trading session. Investors and business leaders are increasingly anxious for the Trump administration to finalize bilateral agreements with key trading partners, such as Japan, South Korea, and India, in light of a looming slowdown in the economy due to tariffs.
Thus far, the White House has refrained from delivering specific details about potential trade agreements, relying instead on frequent reassurances from top aides expressing that multiple deals are “close” to being announced.
