President Donald Trump appears to be effectively using the April 9 deadline for his country-by-country tariffs announced on April 2 with great effect in order to bring trade partners to the table, saying that a trade deal with South Korea is now “probable” in an April 8 Truth Social post.
Trump made the announcement of an imminent deal with South Korea at about 9 a.m. EST: “I just had a great call with the Acting President of South Korea. We talked about their tremendous and unsustainable Surplus, Tariffs, Shipbuilding, large scale purchase of U.S. LNG, their joint venture in an Alaska Pipeline, and payment for the big time Military Protection we provide to South Korea. They began these Military payments during my first term, Billions of Dollars, but Sleepy Joe Biden, for reasons unknown, terminated the deal. That was a shocker to all! In any event, we have the confines and probability of a great DEAL for both countries. Their top TEAM is on a plane heading to the U.S., and things are looking good.”
And the trade negotiations are taking place with countries all over the world, with Trump stating, “We are likewise dealing with many other countries, all of whom want to make a deal with the United States.”
But it’s not just trade, Trump said, but covering a host of other topics: “Like with South Korea, we are bringing up other subjects that are not covered by Trade and Tariffs, and getting them negotiated also. ‘ONE STOP SHOPPING’ is a beautiful and efficient process!!!”
Even China might get in on the mix, Trump offered, predicting it would happen eventually, stating, “China also wants to make a deal, badly, but they don’t know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call. It will happen! GOD BLESS THE USA.”
This is Trump’s art of deal once again in effect, using his leverage with maximum impact. In The Art of the Deal, published in 1987, Trump wrote, “The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you’re dead. The best thing you can do is deal from strength, and leverage is the biggest strength you can have. Leverage is having something the other guy wants. Or better yet, needs. Or best of all, simply can’t do without.”
Trump added, “[Y]ou have to convince the other guy it’s in his interest to make the deal.”
And that’s exactly what happening here with Trump’s trade negotiations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on CNBC’s Squawk Box on April 8 was able to report that after the April 2 announcement the Trump administration went into “quiet mode” and waited for trade partners to come knocking.
Bessent reported, “I can tell you it’s all President Trump’s decision. And he had a view on — after Liberation Day that we should go into quiet mode and let our partners think about the kind of the shock and awe that he presented. And over those following few days from April 2nd we had… I think we’re up to 70 countries contact the White House for how to come and negotiate.”
Bessent said that Japan had come to table, too. “My advice on April 2nd to our trading partners was not to panic. Don’t escalate. And then we will see where President Trump is after a period of days or weeks. The response was overwhelming. So, it was after a period of days. And he decided that it would be a good time to begin negotiating. The Japanese are very good actors. He had — the President had very good call yesterday … with the Japanese prime minister that led to these negotiations. And look, the Japanese are military partners. They’re economic partners. We have a substantial imbalance with them, and I’m sure that they are as anxious as we are to get this remedied.”
Meaning, Trump’s plan is working. Trade partners are coming to the table to work out better trade deals. Many of these countries operate export-driven economies, where goods flow to many customers, but largely to the United States. Here, Trump is treating access to U.S. markets as a privilege, not a right, with the tariffs set to go into effect on April 9.
The trade partners are coming to the table — as designed — and the result has every possibility of being something that works out to the interests of both the United States and those that we do business with.
In all likelihood, countries hoping to get a better deal will have to do so while living under the tariffs, at least for a little while, while the negotiations take place. Certainly, that will be the case with China if they ever decide they want to sit down. The last time there was a trade agreement with Trump in 2020 it came with Trump leaving the tariffs in place.
So, there’s no guarantee the other trade partners will be able to get Trump to remove the tariffs, either. They only get to find out if they come to the table. And otherwise, the best way to avoid the tariffs is to just come to America and build the products here. That’s the ultimate deal Trump is looking for where America becomes a great manufacturing power again. The trade partners can help with that, but they have to build here and hire our people.
Otherwise, there might not be a deal.
Robert Romano is the Executive Director of Americans for Limited Government Foundation.
