Trump trade deadline not critical: White House

President Donald Trump could extend his upcoming self-imposed tariff pause deadlines, the White House said Thursday.

Asked if Trump is still committed to a deadline to strike trade deals by July, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that date “is not critical.”

“The president can simply provide these countries with a deal if they refuse to make us one by the deadline,” Leavitt said at a press briefing.

“And that means the president can pick a reciprocal tariff rate that he believes is advantageous for the United States and for the American worker,” she said.

She later added, “Perhaps it could be extended, but that’s a decision for the president to make.”

Trump in late May had threatened to impose 50% tariffs on the European Union. But two days later he agreed to delay that duty until July 9, after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she needed an extension to “reach a good deal.”

Trump is also coming up against the expiration of a 90-day pause on his imposition of “reciprocal” U.S. tariffs on nearly all other countries.

That reprieve, which dropped the near-universal tariffs to a blanket 10%, is set to end on July 8.

Stocks rose to session highs following Leavitt’s remarks Thursday afternoon, which were just the latest signal that Trump may not hold fast to the deadlines he previously announced.

Earlier Thursday, White House Council of Economic Advisers chairman Stephen Miran told Yahoo Finance that he expected those deadlines would be extended for countries engaged in “good faith” trade negotiations with the U.S.

In those cases, “I don’t see why [tariff] rates would snap back higher,” Miran said.

Earlier in June, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified before the House Ways and Means Committee that it was “highly likely” that Trump would push back his July 8 deadline.

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