MIXED PROGRESS
The picture appears mixed for other trading partners, with Trump unveiling – then halting – even steeper levies on many of them.
A 90-day pause on these higher levels of “reciprocal tariffs” on dozens of countries is set to expire in early July.
France’s Lombard told reporters that the EU is “still a long way from an agreement” with the United States, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank’s spring meetings in Washington.
But he maintained that talks with the US side were warm, after engaging with officials including Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
Lombard noted a desire from his counterparts to “move forward as quickly as possible.”
On Wednesday, Bessent added that the United States was “very close” when it came to trade talks with India, while it is also “proceeding with the other trading partners.”
Bessent added Thursday that Washington had a “very successful bilateral meeting” with South Korean representatives.
“We will be talking technical terms as early as next week,” he said. “They came with their A game, and we will see if they follow through on that.”
Source: CNA
