The Deadline is Approaching! Will Donald Trump Apply Customs Duties that Also Pressure Bitcoin? Insider Source Spoke

According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. President Donald Trump is racing to finalize the details of a new tariff agenda by the Wednesday he set, while trying to take comprehensive trade measures to reshape the American economy.

According to sources close to the discussions, one of the key points of contention within the administration is whether to apply individualized customs duties to trade partners, as Trump has suggested in recent weeks, or to revert to a general promise of customs duties affecting almost all countries that do business with the U.S.

Trump, although he previously tried to soften expectations regarding the so-called reciprocal tariff plan, has recently signaled a more aggressive stance. Speaking on Air Force One on Sunday night, the President stated that the U.S. would be “much more generous” than its previous promises to align tariffs with those of other countries. However, sources say that since then he has called on his team to prepare plans to impose higher tariffs on a broader range of countries. On Sunday, Trump reinforced this position by stating that tariffs would target “essentially all” of America’s trading partners.

The administration is currently considering the possibility of applying global customs duties of up to 20% on almost all of America's trade partners. This approach reflects the plan supported for months during Trump's campaign and the President's intention to move to a reciprocal customs duty model where the U.S. would match the customs duty rates imposed by other countries.

Despite this change, a management official stated that the mutual tax plan is still under evaluation. It has been reported that Trump tends to impose tariffs on every country that the U.S. has a trade deficit with and prefers a "clean number" for each country, but no final decision has been made.

The official added that whatever the ultimate plan, the president wants the policy to be "big and simple." This points to a broader approach, going beyond previous plans that focused on the largest trading partners of the United States, i.e. about 15% of the world's countries. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously referred to these countries as the "dirty 15" in statements to the media.

The administration is evaluating a range of sector-specific taxes targeting potentially critical minerals and related products, in addition to broad customs duties, among other sectors. While the uncertainty remains whether these customs duties will be announced on April 2, they are expected to be included in a trade policy review document planned to be presented to Trump on Tuesday.