Bosent: Countries lacking goodwill in negotiations will have tariffs returned to "Liberation Day" levels. According to a Reuters report, Bosent pointed out on NBC's "Meet the Press" program that the Trump administration is currently focusing on 18 major trading partners. If these countries do not show sincerity, they will be informed of the applicable tax rates. "This means they are not negotiating in good faith, so they will receive a letter specifying the tax rate. I expect everyone to negotiate in good faith." Bosent said that the notified countries are likely to be told to return to the original tariff rates announced on April 2nd. When asked about when new trade agreements might be announced, Bosent said on CNN's "State of the Union" program: "This will also depend on whether they are negotiating in good faith." He said that the U.S. hopes to promote more "regional trade agreements," such as "this is the tariff rate for Central America" and "this is the tariff rate for a certain African region," indicating that the negotiation strategy will be more geographically flexible. Return to original tariff mechanism to maintain trade leverage On April 2nd, Trump announced a maximum tariff of up to 115% on most imported goods, but significantly reduced the tariff rates on April 9th, lowering them to 10% for most countries and adjusting them to 30% for Chinese goods to create a 90-day window for negotiation with various countries. Last Friday, Trump reiterated that he would send letters to various countries to officially inform them of their applicable tariffs. Currently, the U.S. has only reached preliminary trade frameworks or short-term arrangements with the UK and China, while other negotiations are progressing slowly. Bosent said that if there is no progress in negotiations and the other party lacks goodwill, the U.S. will not hesitate to return to the initial set rates. Market Concerns About Fiscal Risks, Bosent: Credit Rating is a "Lagging Indicator" On the 16th, the international credit rating agency Moody's downgraded the U.S. debt rating from the highest level Aaa to Aa1 due to rising government debt and interest costs, causing a new round of market concerns about the U.S. fiscal situation. Long and short-term U.S. bond yields surged simultaneously. In response, Bosent said that Moody's judgment was a "lagging indicator." Bosent emphasized that the current fiscal problems are not short-term phenomena but caused by the spending policies of the Biden administration over the past four years. He pointed out that when the Trump administration took over, the U.S. debt burden accounted for a high of 4.7% of GDP, one of the historical highs after economic recessions and wars. The Trump administration tackled the challenge by cutting spending and boosting the economy. Walmart Will "Absorb Part of the Tariffs" to Avoid Price Increases Recently, the largest retailer in the United States, Walmart, stated that due to the rising cost of tariffs, it would raise prices on some products starting from late May. Trump immediately criticized Walmart on social media: "Walmart and China should 'absorb tariffs' and not pass on costs to consumers." Bosent said he spoke with Walmart CEO Doug McMillon on Saturday, who promised that Walmart would bear part of the tariff costs. He added: "Walmart will indeed absorb part of the tariffs, and I did not exert any pressure." Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832528699482243/ Disclaimer: This article represents the views of the author alone.