Trading partners play hardball as Trump administration digs in on tariffs

[Eugene]

Source: NBC News

Trading partners play hardball as Trump administration digs in on tariffs

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called China’s economic model “unsustainable” as White House officials indicated trade negotiations were continuing.

April 23, 2025, 10:56 AM EDT / Updated April 23, 2025, 4:54 PM EDT
By Rob Wile, Garrett Haake and Shannon Pettypiece

The Trump administration's latest efforts to soften its trade stance amid a market rebellion are running into a harsh reality: Other nations do not yet appear willing to negotiate.

On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterated remarks he'd made to investors at a private conference Tuesday that the tariffs standoff with China was "unsustainable."

But he said that any de-escalation would have to be mutual — and had not yet been initiated by the White House.

In response, an official with China's U.S. embassy accused the U.S. of continuing to mistreat it.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-china-tariffs-trade-war-scott-bessent-speech-what-next-rcna202571

[C_U_L8R]

1. Everyone sees the emperor has no clothes

The dog has no bite. All talk and no trousers. Etc...

Trump is weak. His policies are ill-thought and friends are few.
He sounds more demented and frantic every day.
World leaders are just sitting back in amusement to see
how his national self-destruction plays out.