MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Israel to suppress all tariffs on US goods, Netanyahu tells Trump

Washington will not necessarily reciprocate given the aid already given to Israel, Trump noted

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday said at the White House that his Government would eliminate tariffs and trade barriers on US imports to address the trade deficit with Washington. He made those remarks amid global market declines of over 7%, triggered by tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which amount to 17% in the case of Israel.

Netanyahu, advocating for free and fair trade, suggested Israel’s actions could be a model for other nations.

“I can tell you what I have told the US president: 'we are going to eliminate the trade deficit with [Washington],'” Netanyahu said from the Oval Office. He added that his government would eliminate the levies on Washington, as well as the “various trade barriers that have been unnecessarily imposed.”

“We don't talk about intentions. We don't just talk about words. We talk about results,” he further noted. “Free trade must be fair,” he insisted.

Trump, while appreciative, hinted that US tariffs on Israel might remain, citing the US$ 4 billion in annual aid provided to Israel. The meeting with Trump also covered topics like the Gaza War, Iran, and opposition to the International Criminal Court, which seeks Netanyahu’s arrest for alleged war crimes.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged dialogue to mitigate the tariffs’ impact while global markets continued to reel from the US policy shift.

Meanwhile, Trump announced direct talks with Iran starting April 12, aimed at a verified nuclear peace deal, despite skepticism from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, who cited past US failures to honor agreements, such as the 2010 nuclear deal.

The Republican leader made these remarks during his joint press conference with Netanyahu. “We are holding direct talks with Iran” starting this coming Saturday, Trump explained. “We have a very important meeting, and we will see what happens.”

Regarding his talk with the Israeli head of Government, Trump admitted that they had lunch and “came to some very good solutions and conclusions.”