The Trump administration has received 18 trade proposals from foreign governments, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday, indicating advancements in negotiations following President Donald Trump’s introduction of “Liberation Day” tariffs earlier this month.
“I spoke to our entire trade team this morning. There is a lot of progress being made. We now have 18 proposals on paper that have been brought to the trade team,” Leavitt told reporters during a White House press briefing.
.@PressSec says the administration has received 18 trade proposals from foreign countries so far — and that officials have trade meetings with 34 countries this week alone. pic.twitter.com/XyK2LCgoB0
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 22, 2025
Leavitt said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro have met with representatives from 34 countries this week.
“We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said an underreported news story from this week, in which much of the media’s coverage has been on the death of Pope Francis, was Vice President JD Vance announcing that the United States and India have finalized the “terms of reference” for a trade negotiation between the two countries.
Vance shared the news during a trip to India, during which he met with the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi.
“That is a big deal,” Leavitt said. “We know, when we look at the numbers, the monetary trade barriers and the non-monetary trade barriers from India — they have been ripping off the United States and American workers for a very long time.”
She added: “So the fact that the vice president, with Prime Minister Modi on that trip to India, announced these terms of reference, which is essentially a framework to move the ball forward to sign a good trade deal between our two nations is great progress and it speaks to the work ethic and the real labor that’s being put into this effort by the president’s trade team.”
A little more than a week after “Liberation Day” on April 2, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs for most countries, reverting to a 10% rate, while increasing levies on China to 145%.
Pressed on whether the new trade proposals were sufficient to extend the pause, Leavitt said, “Ask me in July when the deadline hits.”
Leavitt also shared an update in regard to China, which has raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% and vowed to implement “countermeasures” against countries that agree to trade deals with Trump “at the expense” of its interests.
“I asked the president about this before coming out here. And he wanted me to share with all of you that we are doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China,” Leavitt said. “As I mentioned, there have now been 18 proposals and more than 100 countries around the world who are wanting to make a deal with the United States of America, and the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China.”
She continued: “So we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, and the ball is moving in the right direction.”
[#item_full_content]
[[{“value”:”
The Trump administration has received 18 trade proposals from foreign governments, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday, indicating advancements in negotiations following President Donald Trump’s introduction of “Liberation Day” tariffs earlier this month.
“I spoke to our entire trade team this morning. There is a lot of progress being made. We now have 18 proposals on paper that have been brought to the trade team,” Leavitt told reporters during a White House press briefing.
.@PressSec says the administration has received 18 trade proposals from foreign countries so far — and that officials have trade meetings with 34 countries this week alone. pic.twitter.com/XyK2LCgoB0
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 22, 2025
Leavitt said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, and White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro have met with representatives from 34 countries this week.
“We are moving at Trump speed to ensure these deals are made on behalf of the American worker and the American people,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said an underreported news story from this week, in which much of the media’s coverage has been on the death of Pope Francis, was Vice President JD Vance announcing that the United States and India have finalized the “terms of reference” for a trade negotiation between the two countries.
Vance shared the news during a trip to India, during which he met with the country’s prime minister, Narendra Modi.
“That is a big deal,” Leavitt said. “We know, when we look at the numbers, the monetary trade barriers and the non-monetary trade barriers from India — they have been ripping off the United States and American workers for a very long time.”
She added: “So the fact that the vice president, with Prime Minister Modi on that trip to India, announced these terms of reference, which is essentially a framework to move the ball forward to sign a good trade deal between our two nations is great progress and it speaks to the work ethic and the real labor that’s being put into this effort by the president’s trade team.”
A little more than a week after “Liberation Day” on April 2, Trump announced a 90-day pause on the tariffs for most countries, reverting to a 10% rate, while increasing levies on China to 145%.
Pressed on whether the new trade proposals were sufficient to extend the pause, Leavitt said, “Ask me in July when the deadline hits.”
Leavitt also shared an update in regard to China, which has raised tariffs on U.S. goods to 125% and vowed to implement “countermeasures” against countries that agree to trade deals with Trump “at the expense” of its interests.
“I asked the president about this before coming out here. And he wanted me to share with all of you that we are doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China,” Leavitt said. “As I mentioned, there have now been 18 proposals and more than 100 countries around the world who are wanting to make a deal with the United States of America, and the president and the administration are setting the stage for a deal with China.”
She continued: “So we feel everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen, and the ball is moving in the right direction.”
“}]]
