President Donald Trump clarified Monday at the White House that the Trump tariff letters sent to countries including Serbia are “more or less final offers”—but left the door open for negotiations.
“Some of them wanted to make a deal and wanted to be fair,” Trump said. “Others, perhaps, got a little bit spoiled.”
The clarification comes just moments after Trump sent one of those Trump tariff letters to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, signaling a Trump Serbia trade deal or a 35% tariff by August 1 —a move first reported by The Pavlovic Today.
When asked if the August 1 tariff date outlined in his letters to countries is set in stone, Trump replied:
“I would say firm but not 100% firm. If they call up and say we’d like to do something a different way, we’re going to be open to that.”
WHY IT MATTERS —Trump’s tariff strategy isn’t new. It’s been a throughline of his political identity, from campaign trail to West Wing. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick put it plainly during an April gaggle outside the West Wing.
“He thinks resetting American trade policy is fundamental, right? He’s fundamentally said it during the campaign trail. He said it after he was elected. He said leading up to Liberation Day, he announced Liberation Day, and he did not bend,” Lutnick said.
THE BIG PICTURE — The letters may be “final,” but the game is still in play. Trump is using the tariff threat not just as pressure — but as an invitation to deal. The deadline is set. The only question: who picks up the phone?
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