Amid the escalating tariff war between the U.S. and China, there are claims that President Donald Trump’s ultimate goal is a "big deal" with China. Kate Caluteckevich, who served as the Senior Director for Trade at the White House National Economic Council (NEC) during the Trump administration, said on the 10th in Washington, D.C., "President Trump wants to be remembered as the president who achieved a massive trade agreement with China."
Caluteckevich emphasized that President Trump is interested in a new trade agreement with China rather than the tariffs on Chinese goods themselves. He explained that President Trump imposed a barrage of tariffs on Chinese products during his first term, and after a tit-for-tat tariff increase with China, he reached a phase one trade agreement with the country in early 2020. Caluteckevich speculated that President Trump would likely be surprised that China has not made any negotiation proposals at this time.
Caluteckevich predicted that China would respond more forcefully to President Trump’s tariff pressures, and noted that the White House also follows Trump’s negotiating style. He also estimated that it might take additional time before the U.S.-China negotiations reach the table. He analyzed that Americans would be better prepared for the high tariffs on Chinese products.
Meanwhile, Caluteckevich assessed that the South Korean government has responded well to President Trump’s tariff offensive, suggesting that there could be options for the South Korean government regarding the 25% reciprocal tariff issue between South Korea and the U.S. He evaluated that the likelihood of exemptions from the 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles remains low even after President Trump made decisions regarding reciprocal tariff waivers for over 70 countries recently.