United States Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, said on Tuesday that some products that are not cultivated in the US, such as manga, cocoa, coffee and pineapple, may receive zero fare even in the face of the overwhelming package promised by President Donald Trump.
“The United States do not produce these products. So they could come with zero fare,” Lutnick said in an interview with CNBC International. He did not specify which countries would be included in the rate, but mentioned negotiations with the EU.
Brazil is among the countries threatened to face the maximum rate of 50% as of this Friday (1st), according to Trump announcement in early July. According to Lutnick, the US president will make his final decisions about commercial agreements later this week.
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“For the rest of the world, we will have everything ready until Friday,” he said, noting that conversations with China and the European Union follow in parallel.
According to the secretary, US and European Union authorities still discuss details about steel and aluminum tariffs, as well as rules for digital services. The dialogue follows the structure of a pre-agreement announced on Sunday.
Lutnick also pointed out that negotiations with China occur in a “own process”, separated from other negotiations.
