Nearly 70 countries have reached out after President Donald Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” tariffs last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday.
That estimate comes after Bessent and other Trump administration officials stated over the weekend that more than 50 nations had contacted the United States to initiate negotiations on trade.
“I can tell you that there are 50, 60, maybe almost 70 countries now who have approached us,” Bessent said during an interview with Larry Kudlow on Fox Business.
Almost 70 countries have now approached us wanting to help rebalance global trade.
On behalf of @POTUS, I’m glad to join @USTradeRep to open talks with Japan as we work to enact the President’s vision for a new Golden Age of Global Trade.pic.twitter.com/PGUGjh7JkH
— Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) April 7, 2025
Bessent went on to suggest that discussion with other countries could drag on for months, stating, “It’s going to be a busy April, May, maybe into June.”
Dozens of foreign nations are facing a tariff baseline of 10% and, in some cases, much higher rates as part of the “Liberation Day” tariffs Trump announced last week at the White House.
Trump has shown a willingness to escalate, warning China he would impose a 50% additional levy if the country does not withdraw its retaliatory tariff.
Officials in Trump’s administration have said they are focused on wrangling trade deficits the United States has endured for decades, including “non-tariff cheating.”
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer identified Argentina, Vietnam, and Israel as some of the nations that want to discuss achieving “reciprocity,” according to POLITICO.
While meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to eliminate his country’s trade deficit with the United States.
That came after Trump revealed that he spoke with the prime minister of Japan, which, like Israel, is facing new tariffs above the baseline, and expects a “top team” to engage in negotiations.
Bessent, who along with Greer will continue the talks, said Japan is “a very important military ally. They’re a very important economic ally. And, the U.S. has a lot of history with them.”
Japan is expected to get “priority just because they came forward very quickly,” Bessent told Kudlow, who served as an economic adviser to Trump during his first White House term.
“It’s going to be very busy and President Trump gave himself maximum negotiating leverage — and just when he has achieved the maximum leverage, he’s willing to start talking,” Bessent added.
