8 April 2025(Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Donald Trump said on Monday that he would not pause his tariff agenda, which had sent global markets into a tailspin, raised fears of a global recession, and prompted several countries to call for negotiations.
However, the US president indicated that he might be open to talks that align with his domestic economic agenda.
Trump’s statement came after the White House dismissed reports that the administration was considering a 90-day suspension of its reciprocal tariff plan for all target nations except China.
The report initially led financial markets to recover more than 3 per cent from a 4 per cent loss on Monday, but they turned negative again following the administration’s clarification.
Tariffs ‘very important’
A 10 per cent tariff on imports from all countries is already in effect and targeted reciprocal tariffs are set to roll out starting Wednesday.
“We’re not looking at that,” Trump said during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who became the first foreign leader to visit the White House after the US president announced his ambitious tariffs.
The Republican said tariffs, which would generally remain, were a “very important” part of his economic agenda and signalled readiness to secure a “fair deal and good deals with every country.”
“There can be permanent tariffs and there can also be negotiations because there are things that we need beyond tariffs,” Trump added.
Summary: Donald Trump reaffirms commitment to tariffs despite global market jitters, stating they are essential to boosting U.S. wealth and economic strength.