By Andrea Shalal and Doina Chiacu
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Tuesday a 10% universal tariff on goods entering the United States would stay in place but U.S. officials were in talks with many countries to lower additional tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump.
Greer told CNBC he would speak to the Indian commerce secretary on Tuesday before leaving for Seoul, South Korea for a meeting of trade ministers from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) grouping.
The chief U.S. trade negotiator, just back from weekend talks with Chinese officials in Switzerland, said he would meet with the South Korean trade minister in coming days and ministers from other Asian countries attending the APEC meeting.
“We are happy to move as quickly as other parties are willing to move,” Greer said, citing agreements struck in recent days with China, Britain and recent talks with Switzerland. “We’re moving as quickly as we can with folks who want to be ambitious.”
He made clear that the 10% tariffs imposed on nearly all countries by Trump on April 2 would remain in place, noting that Trump had campaigned on a promise to institute a universal tariff and a somewhat higher tariff on China.
“That’s about where we are right now,” he said, adding that the U.S. would continue working with trusted partners to accommodate supply chains, as seen in last week’s trade agreement with Britain, which got lower duties on auto imports and a pledge to shield the UK from additional tariffs 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.
Greer said the U.S.-China agreement reached over the weekend lowered the 145% U.S. duties imposed on China to 10% for 90 days, while keeping in place the full 20% duties related to fentanyl entering the U.S.
He said Trump would consider “a different approach” if China took action to halt shipments of fentanyl and precursor drugs.
He said the U.S. would also stick with sectoral tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos and pharmaceuticals – all areas where the U.S. needed to increase domestic production.
“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.”
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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