US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he does not plan to extend the 90-day pause on tariffs for most nations beyond the July 9 deadline. The pause was initially set to provide a window for trade negotiations, but Trump now says he prefers to notify countries via formal letters detailing the penalties they will face unless they secure trade agreements with the United States.
In an interview on Fox News, Trump dismissed the need for an extension, stating, “I don’t think I’ll need to because, I could—there’s no big deal.” He reiterated his plan to send letters instead, emphasizing, “That’s the end of the trade deal.”
Trump described the letters as “very fair,” explaining that they would inform countries of the specific tariff rates they would be subject to—such as 25%, 40%, or even 50%—depending on the trade deficit and how each country treats the U.S. in return. “You’re gonna pay a 25 per cent tariff, or 20 per cent or 40 or 50 per cent. I would rather do that,” Trump said.
He noted that these letters would begin rolling out soon and clarified that not all cases would require further negotiation. “Some countries, we don’t care. We’ll just send a high number out. No, we don’t have to meet. We understand. We have all the numbers,” he said, suggesting that the administration already has sufficient data to move forward unilaterally.
Using Japan as an example, Trump joked, “I could send one to Japan. ‘Dear Mr. Japan, here’s the story: you’re going to pay a 25 per cent tariff on your cars.’”
Last Friday, Trump downplayed the importance of the July 9 deadline during a White House press conference, acknowledging the difficulty of brokering individual deals with so many countries. “There are 200 countries, you can’t talk to all of them,” he remarked. The administration had set an ambitious target of completing 90 trade deals in 90 days—an effort that remains incomplete.
India-US Trade Developments
Meanwhile, India is among the countries racing to finalize a deal before the July 9 deadline. According to Bloomberg, India’s trade team has extended its stay in Washington to resolve ongoing issues. President Trump recently indicated optimism regarding bilateral trade, stating that a “very big” deal with India is likely to materialize soon, even as both countries adopt firmer negotiating positions.
As the clock ticks down, global trade partners are bracing for a shift in U.S. policy that could impose substantial tariffs—unless agreements are swiftly reached.
