At the end of the first 100 days of his term in late April, US President Donald Trump made a statement on the progress of tariff negotiations. He said he had completed trade agreements with 200 countries. More than two months later, Trump has announced only three of these agreements – with China, the United Kingdom and Vietnam, CNN notes.

So what happened?

July 9th was the day Trump had set three months ago as a deadline for all countries to reach an agreement or face higher “reciprocal” duties. Trump has since publicly recognized that the freezing of these “Day of Liberation” duties until July 9 was not enough to negotiate with almost all countries of the world.

Trump was initially expecting to complete more trade deals until Wednesday’s deadline, but in recent weeks it has been convinced that the reach of these agreements cannot be made faster, sources who know the issue told CNN. That is why his public rhetoric has shifted in recent weeks to saying that he will send letters that will set higher duties to America’s trade partners while talks continue.

Thus, Trump has agreed to postpone the deadline for August 1 to give countries close to a deal a little longer for talks – especially in the European Union, which is on the verge of announcing a trade agreement with the United States.

Progress in negotiations with the EU

EU and US negotiators are approaching a framework agreement that will put 10% duties in force and determine the parameters for extensive trade discussions that will proceed, according to three officials who know the matter.

Progress in negotiations with the EU, in particular, has been a key element in extending the deadline beyond 9 July.

Talks between the two sides continue, but officials said the deal would be announced before the end of the week. All Gil, a spokesman for the European Commission’s trade, confirmed to inform the press on Wednesday that EU trading negotiators are in active discussions with US Minister of Commerce Howard Lutnik and US trading representative Jaimison.

This progress marks a “dramatic” shift in Trump’s long -term and public contempt for the EU, a view that has been the background for months of frustrating and difficult trade discussions this year.

But Trump’s tone – and behind the scenes, the style and pace of negotiations – changed dramatically in the weeks that followed since it threatened 50% of the EU in a morning post on social media in late May. This unexpected and dramatic threat caused the EU’s immediate reaction and laid the foundations for an urgent effort to reach some form of agreement.

EU officials are in the midst of informing Member States about the framework and the proposed negotiation process, one of EU officials said, adding that despite the often divergent balances of the Block countries, the agreement was presented as the best and most likely way to avoid the only way.

Trump’s negotiators maintained a hard line against EU pressure for exemptions on sectoral duties that are already in force or are going to apply, officials said. For example, the pressure to reduce the 25% of Trump duty on cars is a central focal point of advanced stage discussions, as well as the attempt to reduce 50% steel contributions.

US negotiators have shown some willingness to examine basic EU industries and products for possible reductions in rates, including airplanes, alcoholic beverages and certain agricultural products. But this would require Trump’s final signature, officials said.

EU officials have also pledged to significantly increase the markets of US energy and defense products.

If no agreement is reached, the EU has promised to introduce countermeasures with the aim of exporting the US to billions of dollars.

These retaliation was to come into force on July 14th. It is not yet clear whether the EU will postpone this date to take into account the extension of Trump’s deadline for “mutual” duties on August 1st.

“If no agreement is reached within the specified deadline, the EU is ready to activate targeted and proportionate countermeasures for the defense of its legitimate interests,” Marie Bjer, Minister of European Affairs of Denmark, reminded Wednesday in the European Parliament.

Agreements that are still in the ‘works’

Trump has been frustrated by the lack of progress in trade agreements. During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, he said that his threats to duties have successfully brought commercial partners on the negotiating table – but agreements offered by other countries in the United States are unacceptable.

“They say … we will give you full access and you will not have to pay duties, but please do not impose duties, and we do not like this deal,” Trump said. “We are not hard -core, but it is time for the United States of America to start collecting money from countries that steal us – stealing us – and laughing behind our backs with how stupid we were.”

Trump this week sent several letters to set new duties, including 25% duties to Japan and South Korea.

Other agreements were more difficult to achieve.

India has long been seen as the most likely big partner to sign a framework with the US. But Indian trade negotiators have touched their positions in recent days, according to US officials. India is also a member of the BRICS team, so it is not clear what it means for trade negotiations, Trump’s threat of 10% duties in BRICS countries on Sunday.

South Korea has also been considered for weeks as possible to reach an agreement, although Trump’s duties for cars remain a key point of engagement in these conversations.

Japan has been steadily removed from an agreement in recent weeks, and Trump has significantly questioned the conversations. Japanese trading negotiators, who just a few weeks ago tried to lay the groundwork for a statement until the G7 summit last month, gave much more pessimistic messages to their public statements in recent days.

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that despite “serious and honest discussions”, Japan was unable to reach an agreement. “We are deeply sorry that the US government imposed additional duties and announced plans to increase tariff rates,” Ishiba noted.

Indonesia, Cambodia and Thailand have all delivered bids to their US counterparts in the last two weeks in an effort to move to the forefront for an agreement and are likely to be nominated for any short -term deal in the coming days, US officials said.

Brazil has also intensified its efforts to secure a deal, including bilateral talks at the end of last week, aimed at expanding a previous bid to drastically reduce duties in some US products, US government officials said.

The dominant point of disagreement between foreign trade groups was the lack of clarity about what their US counterparts want for any final agreement.