White House Downplays July 9th Deadline for Trump Tariffs

The White House has downplayed the significance of the July 9th deadline for the imposition of US tariffs, as stated by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday.

Leavitt left open the possibility that President Donald Trump could extend trade negotiations or impose new tariffs at will, stressing that a possible extension is at the President's discretion.

In late May, Trump had threatened to impose 50% tariffs on imports from the European Union, but agreed to a postponement until July 9th, following a request from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Furthermore, on July 8th, the 90-day suspension of almost universal 10% tariffs on countries outside agreements expires.