In a sharp departure from decades of bilateral trade diplomacy, US President Donald Trump announced on May 16 that his administration would cease negotiating individual tariff agreements with America’s trade partners. Instead, Washington will notify some 150 countries of new tariff rates via official correspondence, effectively ending talks in favor of a blanket approach to trade policy.

The announcement came during a business roundtable in Saudi Arabia, where Trump doubled down on his new protectionist economic vision. Speaking to a group of regional business leaders, Trump justified the move by claiming that the number of nations seeking bilateral trade talks had become unmanageable. “At the same time, we have 150 countries that want to make a deal,” Trump said. “It’s not possible to meet the number of people that want to see us.”

The decision represents a significant pivot from Trump’s earlier position. On April 2-dubbed “Liberation Day” by the president-the White House had introduced a baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods, along with additional surcharges for countries like China, Mexico, and Canada. At the time, Trump had pledged to negotiate individualized agreements with each of America’s trade partners in the weeks to follow.

However, after receiving a deluge of requests from foreign governments eager to hash out favorable terms, the administration reversed course. Trump now says that US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick will spearhead the effort to send out official letters outlining the updated tariff rates that will apply country-by-country. “We’ll be telling people........

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