Over 50 countries contact White House to start trade talks

The United States has already received requests from more than 50 countries to begin negotiations to discuss the reduction or abolition of import duties, said US National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, Report informs.

"I got a report from the [US Trade Representative] last night that more than 50 countries have reached out to the president to begin a negotiation. But they're doing that because they understand that they bear a lot of the tariff," Hassett told ABC News in an interview.

Hassett also said that Washington did not slap duties on Moscow, as US President Donald Trump does not want this topic to interfere with the negotiations on a peaceful settlement of in Ukraine.

"There's obviously an ongoing negotiation with Russia and Ukraine, and I think the president made the decision not to conflate the two issues," he said, adding that the refusal to raise tariffs against Russia does not mean that the United States will continue to treat Russia radically differently going forward.