Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent declined to specify on Wednesday which countries the US might establish trade deals with, despite earlier suggestions during his testimony.
During a session of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) pressed Bessent about his comments indicating that the US could soon announce agreements with certain partners.
“Can you tell Americans, small businesses, consumers, and particularly retirees, which countries are close to impressive deals?” Velázquez inquired.
Bessent responded by stating that revealing such information “offers no advantage to the United States” and that discussing specifics could harm US interests.
He expressed that disclosing details might jeopardize ongoing negotiations, which might still be in progress. “I’m glad to confirm that negotiations are happening. However, I’m not at liberty to share specifics,” he added.
When Velázquez pressed for a timeline on when these negotiations might conclude, Bessent reiterated his earlier comments about having “18 key trading partners,” noting that the administration is proceeding deliberately with them. He described some negotiations as “very promising.”
“I anticipate that these will, in principle, lead to agreements, which we’ll formalize in the coming months, but only when we’re confident that other nations will uphold their commitments,” he stated.
Bessent also mentioned that he and US trade representative Jamieson Greer are set to meet with Swiss officials later in the week to commence discussions amid ongoing trade tensions between the two nations.
“I’m heading to Switzerland, and negotiations will kick off on Saturday,” he confirmed.
