Lloyd Blankfein, former Goldman CEO, says Donald Trump should delay reciprocal tariffs

Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein says President Trump should delay the reciprocal tariffs on select nations while keeping the baseline 10% tariff on all nations.

Mr. Blankfein, writing on X, said the White House switchboard “must be burning up” with governments willing to surrender in the emerging trade arena after Mr. Trump imposed heavy levies on China and Asian allies, plus dozens of other nations that have taxed America for decades.

“Why not give them a chance? Make the 10pct min tariff immediate but defer the ‘reciprocal’ part 6 mos. Take the win!” Mr. Blankfein, an investment banker who led Goldman from 2006 to 2018.

The White House is sending mixed signals about whether it will negotiate over the hefty tariff rates.

Administration aides said it’s not a negotiating tactic, and Mr. Trump posted online Friday that his policies will “never change.”

Yet the president also said the U.S. is in the driver’s seat now, suggesting the tariff plan is the opening move in a race to recalibrate trade in favor of U.S. producers.

Mr. Blankfein said keeping the baseline tariffs and giving hard-hit nations a chance to negotiate is a winning strategy.