According to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, the United States plans to retain its blanket 10% tariff on imported goods even as it ramps up negotiations with multiple countries to ease additional levies introduced under the Trump administration.
Speaking in an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Greer stated he was scheduled to meet with India’s commerce secretary before traveling to Seoul for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, where he would continue trade discussions with South Korea and other regional partners.
The top U.S. trade envoy, who recently returned from talks with Chinese officials in Switzerland, emphasized that ongoing dialogue was progressing rapidly with partners open to meaningful concessions.
“We are happy to move as quickly as other parties are willing to move,” Greer said, referencing recent breakthroughs with China, the United Kingdom, and dialogue with Switzerland. “We’re moving as quickly as we can with folks who want to be ambitious.”
Greer reaffirmed that the 10% universal tariff, originally enacted by former President Donald Trump on April 2, would remain a central feature of U.S. trade policy. He reiterated that Trump had campaigned on the idea of a flat-rate tariff and a separate, elevated tariff structure for China.
“That’s about where we are right now,” Greer noted, adding that the U.S. would continue working with “trusted partners” to secure and streamline supply chains. He highlighted the recent U.S.–UK trade accord, which includes reduced tariffs on automobile imports and assurances against additional levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors.
“We just want to make sure we have secure supply chains (and) we get as much production back home as possible. And in having a 10% global tariff, that’s going to help reduce the trade deficit, which is the primary driver of the whole program, but also re-shore and create fair trading conditions with our partners,” Greer said.
Regarding the U.S.–China trade pact finalized over the weekend, Greer confirmed that the U.S. agreed to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods from 145% to 10% for a temporary 90-day period. However, he clarified that the U.S. would maintain its 20% duties on Chinese products linked to fentanyl.
He also indicated that President Trump would remain open to alternative approaches if China took decisive steps to halt the export of fentanyl and its precursor chemicals.
Greer emphasized that the U.S. would uphold its sector-specific tariffs on critical industries such as steel, aluminum, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals, sectors identified as vital to boosting domestic manufacturing.
“Ultimately, this is not about encircling China or anything like that. It’s about making America more competitive, making our supply chains more resilient, getting domestic production here and getting the trade deficit down over time,” he concluded.
