“We have not been treated nicely by other countries, but we’re going to be nice. So I think people will be pleasantly surprised,” he added.
Trump said that the 25% auto tariffs he was announcing would go into effect on April 2, when he’s planning his broader rollout.
Asked if he’d also announce tariffs on April 2 for specific sectors, such as semiconductor chips or pharmaceuticals, Trump said “not then, but we will be putting a tariff on lumber.”
The US president outlined his thinking on the reciprocal tariffs while speaking to reporters to unveil his plans on a 25% levy on foreign car imports, another plank of his vision to overhaul the nation’s relationships with trading partners.
See also: Trump says US to impose 30% tariffs on EU, Mexico next month
Trump has promised a sweeping tariff announcement next Wednesday, touting it as a “Liberation Day” against trading partners he has long accused of “ripping off” the US. Trump has yet to detail the exact size, scope and method of those import duties.
In an interview on Tuesday, Trump said he didn’t want “too many exceptions” in the reciprocal tariffs, suggesting that companies and countries may have limited room to negotiate a reprieve for their goods.
The president, however, has rolled out his tariffs plans in a haphazard fashion, frequently delaying imposing the taxes or walking back earlier pronouncements.
