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Washington: The White House is indicating a looming July deadline for trade deals is flexible, seeming to confirm reports US President Donald Trump is preparing to extend the timeframe.
“The deadline is not critical. The president can simply provide these countries with a deal if they refuse to make us one by the deadline,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the July deadline as “not critical”.Credit: AP
She later added: “Perhaps it could be extended but that’s a decision for the president to make.”
Trump’s global tariffs, introduced on April 2, were largely paused for 90 days the following week after the US bond market tanked.
But that expiry date, July 8, is fast approaching, with only the frameworks of deals in place with the United Kingdom and China.
Australia, like the UK, received the lowest across-the-board tariff rate of 10 per cent, although the Australian government still wants that reduced.
Australian steel and aluminium imports to the US are already subject to a 50 per cent tariff from June 4. This is an increase from a 25 per cent tariff imposed on March 12.
Last week Foreign Minister Penny Wong said events in the Middle East had taken the focus off trade negotiations but Australia’s opposition to Trump’s was unchanged.
“We think that the tariffs are not justified, and we think these don’t benefit the United States. We’ll continue to press that case at every level,” she told ABC radio.
