Bow or Punish: Trump Wants Countries’ Best Offer on Trade by Wednesday, as No Signs of More Deals

The Trump administration is pressing countries to deliver their strongest trade concessions by Wednesday, aiming to fast-track negotiations ahead of a looming July 8 deadline, according to a draft letter seen by Reuters.

The letter, issued by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), outlines the administration’s push to conclude a complex web of trade talks launched on April 9. That date marked the start of a 90-day suspension of the controversial “Liberation Day” tariffs, following sharp blowback from global financial markets.

With just five weeks remaining, the administration appears increasingly eager to extract final offers. Despite repeated assurances from officials like White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett that several deals were imminent, only a single agreement — with the UK — has been reached so far, and even that serves more as a preliminary framework than a binding accord.

In the letter, the U.S. asks negotiating countries to outline comprehensive proposals in several areas, including tariff and quota concessions on U.S. goods, steps to dismantle non-tariff barriers, and commitments on digital trade and national economic security. The U.S. is also seeking customized pledges from each partner.

Officials plan to assess all submissions swiftly and present “a possible landing zone” — language suggesting the U.S. may be open to some form of reciprocal tariff alignment in the final stage of talks.

The specific recipients of the letter are not disclosed, but it is aimed at nations actively engaged in discussions involving high-level meetings and formal document exchanges. These include the European Union, Japan, India, Vietnam, and others.

A USTR spokesperson emphasized the pace and seriousness of the negotiations. “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,” the official said.

Deputy Treasury Secretary Michael Faulkender echoed that sentiment in remarks on Monday, saying, “We continue to make very good progress,” and indicated that deals are close in several cases. “As long as we continue to make progress, I think you’re going to see a lot more deals announced prior to that July 9 time frame,” he added.

As trade talks intensify, President Trump and Chinese President Xi are expected to speak later this week, although tensions have risen. Both sides have accused one another of backtracking on terms previously hashed out in Geneva.

Complicating matters further, a federal court last week ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) when implementing the “Liberation Day” tariffs, along with earlier sanctions targeting Canada, Mexico, and China. Trump has argued those countries contributed to the fentanyl crisis in the U.S. However, an appeals court quickly issued a temporary stay, allowing the tariffs to remain in force for now.

The draft letter cautions trade partners against assuming legal challenges will halt the tariff regime.

“Regardless of ongoing litigation concerning the President’s reciprocal tariff action in U.S. courts, the President intends to continue this tariff program pursuant to other robust legal authorities if necessary, so it is important that we continue our discussions on these matters,” the letter states.