In an interview with NBC News, U.S. Treasury Secretary Vincent Bescent denied that Trump's sweeping trade tariffs are a tax on Americans, and he dismissed concerns from major U.S. companies such as John Deere, Nike, and Black & Decker, which have all said Trump's tariffs will cost them billions of dollars a year. "People draw these conclusions from earnings calls where companies have to present grim scenarios...
The US Treasury secretary said the Trump administration was open to a deal to reduce tariffs and denied that the market sell-off had caused the White House to change its approach. Mr. Bescent denied reports that he visited Mr. Trump in Florida at the weekend to urge him to change his message about the tariffs. "I would say the negotiations are the result of a lot of calls coming in to negotiate," he said. "It's not about the market."