US Media: US Tariff Negotiations Plan to Use New Framework for Phased Approach, Initial Consultations with 18 Countries

According to TechFlow, on April 26, Jin10 Data cited the Wall Street Journal reporting that to simplify negotiations on reciprocal tariffs, U.S. negotiators plan to use a new framework developed by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). This framework outlines major negotiation categories such as tariffs and quotas, non-tariff trade barriers, digital trade, rules of origin, economic security, and other commercial issues. Within these categories, U.S. officials will make specific demands tailored to individual countries, but insiders emphasize that this document may be adjusted at any time.

Insiders said that the U.S. preliminary plan is to negotiate sequentially with 18 major trading partners over the next two months. The initial plan is to alternate meetings with six countries participating each week over three weeks (six countries in the first week, another six in the second week, and the last six in the third week), until the deadline on July 8. If U.S. President Trump does not extend the 90-day suspension period he set himself by then, countries that fail to reach an agreement will start facing reciprocal tariffs.