Trump Says His New High Tariffs Are Going 'very Well, Very Smooth' — But He's Open To More Deals

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump touted nan expansive caller tariffs connected imports he imposed connected world trading partners Thursday night, telling NBC News successful a telephone question and reply that it each was going "very well, very smooth."

He besides said that pinch conscionable a fewer hours earlier his self-imposed midnight deadline for waste and acquisition deals, it was "too late" for different countries to debar tariff rates group to threat successful spot adjacent week, which he formalized successful a caller executive order.

But, he added, his doorway will ever beryllium unfastened to compelling offers: "It doesn’t mean that personification doesn’t travel on successful 4 weeks and opportunity we tin make immoderate benignant of a deal."

In Thursday's executive order, Trump made charismatic his agreements pinch trading partners specified arsenic nan European Union, Japan, South Korea, nan United Kingdom and nan Philippines.

Trump’s bid unilaterally sets rates for countries that did not scope agreements pinch him. For example, Switzerland’s complaint will beryllium group higher than antecedently threatened, astatine 39%, while Taiwan’s will beryllium group lower, astatine 20%.

Trump boasted of nan tariff gross nan U.S. is already taking successful — $26 cardinal successful June, according to Treasury Department figures — and said location would beryllium overmuch much to come.

“We will beryllium taking successful hundreds of billions of dollars and very quickly,” he said.

Asked if he’s worried astir imaginable value spikes connected imported goods, Trump replied, “The only value that’s spiked is nan hundreds of billions of dollars coming in.”

Trump indicated that he was unfastened to further discussions pinch Canada, and said he whitethorn moreover speak to Prime Minister Mark Carney later Thursday night, but he said he wouldn't make a caller woody pinch nan state earlier nan deadline.

Trump besides said he was unfamiliar pinch Brazilian President Lula de Silva’s caller New York Times interview suggesting Brazil was prepared to excavation successful and push backmost against nan U.S. tariff program.

Told of its tenor, nan president responded, “That’s OK. But he doesn’t person to do business pinch nan United States which is good pinch me.”

In his question and reply pinch NBC News, Trump besides discussed nan upcoming trip by typical envoy Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who will recreation to nan Gaza Strip connected Friday.

"We want to make judge group get fed," he said, referring to nan hunger situation successful Gaza and saying he was looking guardant to proceeding their study connected nan situation.

Asked if he trusts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to administer U.S. assistance successful Gaza, Trump said, “He’s surely a competent person,” and added that he remained concerned astir Hamas stealing aid.

“Good guidance will extremity that," Trump said. "Hopefully nan Israelis will supply that.”