White House Official Says More Than 50 Countries Reached Out for Tariff Talks

‘They’re doing that because they understand that they bear a lot of the tariff,’ Kevin Hassett said.

President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A top White House economic adviser said on April 6 that more than 50 countries have contacted the Trump administration to initiate negotiations over a broad swath of tariffs that were announced in the first week of April on nearly every nation in the world.

In an interview with ABC News “This Week,” Kevin Hassett, head of the White House’s National Economic Council, said that “there are more than 50 countries reaching out and trying to negotiate this new status with the president” since the tariffs were announced.