Donald Trump once again shocked everyone on Friday, April 25, 2025, by claiming to have “concluded 200 agreements” as part of the ongoing trade negotiations on tariffs. A rather puzzling statement, as the former president did not specify the nature of these agreements, nor the countries or companies involved.
In an interview with Time Magazine, the former real estate mogul turned president said, “You have to understand that I deal with all the companies, with very friendly countries,” before adding without hesitation: “We are meeting with China. We are working well with everyone. I have concluded 200 agreements.” No further details were provided, leaving journalists and observers deeply perplexed.
While Donald Trump insists that the negotiations will be finalised “within three or four weeks,” the United States’ major trading partners — China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada — continue to deny the existence of any imminent deals. Beijing, for its part, has even denied any progress in the talks with Washington.
The economic reality, however, appears far more complex than the American president’s enthusiastic declarations. According to experts, it usually takes an average of 18 months to negotiate a real trade deal in the United States. Even with the best of intentions, it’s hard to imagine 200 agreements concluded in such a short time — unless perhaps in a parallel universe.
True to his style, Donald Trump is already projecting himself as the winner: “If tariffs of 20, 30, or 50% are still in place in a year, it will be a total victory,” he said. Currently, the average effective U.S. tariff rate stands at 22.8%, compared to 2.3% before he entered the White House — the highest among developed countries.
For the American president, there’s no doubt: this explosion of tariffs will be beneficial. “The country will make a fortune,” he assured, explaining that companies would prefer to set up in the United States to avoid paying these heavy surcharges.
An optimistic vision that seems to ignore the real consequences for the global economy… and the contradictions within his own statements.
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