WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.—President Donald Trump on Friday reiterated plans to soon impose tariffs on imported pharmaceutical goods and expressed openness to negotiating auto and reciprocal tariffs in exchange for favorable deals with other countries.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Palm Beach, Florida, for the weekend, Trump confirmed that many countries are interested in making deals in response to his reciprocal tariff proposal.
“It’s possible, if we can get something for the deal,” Trump said. “But, you know, we’ve been taken advantage of for 40 years, maybe more, and it’s just not going to happen anymore. But yeah, I’m certainly open to that.”
The president noted these deals won’t be reached before April 2, when he unveils his reciprocal tariff plan.
“Probably later. It’s a process,” he said.
Trump took questions just moments before landing, as the plane was coming in for a bumpy descent, making it a challenging experience for reporters standing with their equipment. He quickly wrapped up the briefing, asking reporters to sit down.
“Well, we’ll be announcing it soon,” Trump told reporters. “But we have to bring pharmaceuticals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, back into our country.”
Trump stated that he intends to set a tariff rate that will encourage companies to produce domestically. He did not specify a particular rate.
Trump also said his recent call with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was a positive conversation. Notably, he did not refer to Carney as “Governor,” as he did with his predecessor, Justin Trudeau, nor did he mention his past proposal of making Canada the 51st U.S. state.
“I’ve always loved Canada. We had a very good conversation with the prime minister. They’ve got an election going on, so we’re going to meet after the election,” Trump said.
