United States President Donald Trump has made clear his stance on upcoming trade measures, stating he does not want “too many exceptions” to the tariffs set to take effect on April 2. He emphasised the need for a reciprocal approach in international trade, arguing that the U.S. must reclaim the financial ground lost through previous deals.

“It’s time we got some of that money back, maybe a lot of that money back,” Trump said, highlighting the country's economic losses. He reiterated his strategy of trade reciprocity: “All we’re going to do is reciprocal, we are just going to be reciprocal.”

Despite his strong stance, Trump signalled a willingness to show flexibility, stating, “In fact, I’ll probably be more lenient than reciprocal, because if I was reciprocal, that would be very tough on people.”

The President criticised trade deals made by his predecessors, asserting that they allowed other nations to exploit the United States. “We’ve been ripped off as a country like no country has ever been ripped off before,” he said. “It’s almost like saying, how could anybody allow this to happen?”

Trump’s comments come ahead of the implementation of tariffs aimed at correcting what he perceives as unfair trade imbalances. His administration has consistently focused on reshaping U.S. trade policy to prioritise American industries and economic sovereignty.

The limited scope for tariff exceptions signals a tougher trade policy direction, reinforcing Trump's commitment to economic nationalism. As April 2 approaches, the global trade community will closely watch how the policy unfolds and how affected nations respond to the U.S. measures.