Trump's Trade Deal Timeline: A Reality Check on the Ambitious 90-Day Goal

As President Trump's 90-day deadline to sign trade deals with up to 90 countries approaches, questions arise about the feasibility of this ambitious goal. The typical trade deal takes years to close, whereas the administration's target is a fraction of the usual time. Since taking office, Trump has announced a series of tariffs, and in April, administration officials vowed to sign deals with as many as 90 countries in 90 days.

Key Takeaways:

• The typical trade deal takes 917 days, or roughly two and a half years, from initial talks to the president's signature, according to a New York Times analysis of major agreements with the United States currently in effect.
• Roughly 60 days into the current process, President Trump has announced only one deal: a pact with Britain, which is not one of America's biggest trading partners.
• The administration's ability to forge deals has been thrust into sudden doubt, with a U.S. trade court ruling that Trump overstepped his authority in imposing April tariffs.
• The median time it took to get to the president's signature was just over 900 days, as determined by the date from the start of negotiations to the date when the president signed, according to the New York Times analysis.
• Trade analysts note that deals such as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a reworking of the North American free trade treaty, take a lengthy and formal process to negotiate and ratify.
• The administration's "tariff first, talk later" approach has been identified as a similar strategy used in the current trade war with China, with the result being a nonbinding agreement that could be ended by either party at any time.
• The comparison of the two first-term Trump deals shows a drawn-out and sometimes winding path each took to completion, including fragile truces that were overturned later, all while rounds of tariffs injected uncertainty into diplomatic relations.
• Trade negotiators were working to secure "custom-made trade deals at lightning speed" that level the playing field for American industries and workers, but in other recent public statements, White House officials have pared back their ambitions.

Statistics:

• 90 days: The administration's target for signing trade deals with up to 90 countries.
• 917 days: The typical time it takes for a trade deal to go from initial talks to the president's signature.
• 60 days: Roughly the time elapsed since the start of the current trade deal negotiations.
• 900 days: The median time it took to get to the president's signature, according to the New York Times analysis.
• 50-70 countries: The number of countries the United States might reach trade deals with, as suggested by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in April.
• 17: The number of "very important trading relationships" the United States is negotiating with, excluding China.

Sources:

• The New York Times
• Congressional Research Service
• U.S. Trade Representative
• Organization of American States' Foreign Trade Information System
• Public White House communications