Netanyahu Makes Vow to Trump Over Tariffs on Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to eliminate Israel's trade deficit with the United States after the Trump administration imposed 17 percent tariffs on Israeli goods last week.

During a Monday meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office, Netanyahu said Israel would move swiftly to close the trade gap and reduce trade barriers with the U.S.

"Israel can serve as a model for many countries who ought to do the same," he said, adding, "I'm a free trade champion, and free trade has to be fair trade."

Why It Matters

Netanyahu's meeting with Trump comes two days before new tariffs on imports from Israel and other nations around the world are set to go into effect.

Last week, the Nasdaq, S&P 500 and Dow Jones experienced the biggest two-day drop since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Trump has said he plans to move forward with the tariffs despite concerns about an economic fallout. When asked by a reporter on Monday if he would consider a pause on the plan, he said, "Well, we're not looking at that."

"We have many, many countries that are coming to negotiate deals with us, and they're going to be fair deals," he added.

Some nations are only facing the universal tariff of 10 percent, while others will face higher "reciprocal" rates.

"That means they do it to us, and we do it to them," Trump said as he announced the tariffs last week.

What To Know

Trump said he had lunch and meetings with Netanyahu. The two spoke about trade and Iran.

"I think we've come up to some pretty good solutions and conclusions," Trump said.

Netanyahu said he intends to eliminate Israel's trade deficit with the U.S. "very quickly."

"We think it's the right thing to do," Netanyahu said.

Trump also announced that the U.S. will directly engage with Iran beginning Saturday.

"We have a very big meeting, and we'll see what can happen," Trump said.

This was Netanyahu's second visit to the White House since Trump took office in January.

Before Netanyahu's visit, Trump had a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi and King Abdullah of Jordan.

What People Are Saying

Netanyahu, at the White House on Monday: "I recognize the position of the United States that says, you know, 'We're allowing other countries to put tariffs on us, but we don't put tariffs on them.'"

What Happens Next

The reciprocal tariffs are expected to start at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

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Update 04/07/25 4:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.