BREAKING: Trump Tariffs Force EU, 50 Countries to Negotiation Table

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already caved and is ready for a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal on industrial goods.

Despite breathless headlines about collapsing markets and global outrage, the White House says the tariff shockwaves are part of a deliberate, strategic negotiation process—one that’s already producing results.

“More than 50 countries have reached out to negotiate,” said White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett on Sunday, pushing back on the media’s doom spiral. “They’re doing that because they understand that they bear a lot of the tariff.”

These talks began after President Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs earlier this month—starting at 10% for all countries and escalating to higher rates for nations that heavily tax U.S. exports. China, for example, now faces a total tariff rate of 54%.

But already, countries are signaling they’re ready to deal.

• Vietnam has agreed to reduce tariffs to zero.

• Thailand and Taiwan have both offered to begin bilateral trade talks.

• EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal offer on all industrial goods is now on the table.

According to Hassett, the administration sees these conversations as evidence the plan is working. “If you thought consumers are going to pay that tax, then you should be puzzled about why it is that countries are upset about it,” he said. Exporters, not American buyers, are adjusting prices to stay competitive in the U.S. market.

Meanwhile, job growth is surging. “We just had one of the stronger jobs reports I’ve seen in a long time,” Hassett said. “Auto plants are adding second shifts in the U.S. in order to respond to these tariffs.”

Markets may be reacting to the disruption, but the administration views the turbulence as a calculated reset. Trump’s goal is to replace the outdated globalist trade framework—one that favored foreign producers at the expense of U.S. workers—with fair, balanced deals that reward production at home.

And in the words of von der Leyen herself: “Europe is always ready for a good deal.”

So are Americans.