# More than 50 countries have reached out to the White House to begin trade negotiations after president Donald Trump’s global sweeping tariffs. This is according to US’s National Economic Council director, Kevin Hassett. Trump’s blanket ten-percent tax on imports is now in effect, with much steeper tariffs for many countries, including South Africa, coming this week. Hassett has denied that the tariffs were part of a strategy by Trump to crash financial markets to pressure the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.
Over 50 countries have contacted the White House to begin trade negotiations