Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday the United States will announce several trade-related actions in the next 48 hours, citing a flurry of overnight proposals from foreign governments.
“My mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers,” Bessent told CNBC. “It’s going to be a busy couple of days.”
His comments come amid confusion over when President Donald Trump’s new tariffs will take effect. Though Trump previously stated they would start today at noon, the administration now says they will go into effect on August 1, not July 9 as originally announced.
Trump said countries will receive tariff letters or strike deals by July 9. Bessent clarified that the letters are not ultimatums, but include the applicable rate and leave room for further negotiations.
Bessent also said he would meet his Chinese counterpart soon, but did not confirm whether TikTok ownership talks would be tied to broader U.S.-China trade discussions.
