US pressures trade partners for final offers ahead of tariff deadline

The Trump administration is urging its trade partners to submit their best offers by Wednesday, as it races to conclude negotiations ahead of a looming tariff deadline, according to a draft letter from the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) seen by Reuters.

The draft letter sheds light on President Donald Trump’s strategy to finalize complex negotiations with multiple countries, initiated on April 9. That’s when Trump paused his “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days — until July 8 — after markets reacted negatively to the sweeping nature of the proposed levies.

The document reveals a growing sense of urgency within the administration to secure agreements on an accelerated timeline. Despite repeated assurances from White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett and others that several deals were close, only one has been reached so far — with the United Kingdom. Even that agreement functions more as a framework for continued discussions rather than a comprehensive trade deal.

In the draft, the U.S. requests that countries submit detailed proposals across several key areas, including, tariff and quota offers for U.S. industrial and agricultural products, plans to address non-tariff barriers, commitments on digital trade and economic security and country-specific pledges.

The U.S. plans to review responses swiftly and offer what the letter calls a “possible landing zone,” potentially including a reciprocal tariff structure.

While the letter doesn’t specify which nations will receive it, it targets countries currently engaged in active negotiations, including those with whom Washington has held meetings and exchanged documents. Ongoing talks involve the European Union, Japan, Vietnam, and India, among others.

A USTR official confirmed the pace of talks: “Productive negotiations with many key trading partners continue at a rapid pace. It is in all parties’ interest to take stock of progress and assess any next steps.”