The Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent, warned the commercial partners who do not retaliate against the rates announced by President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
“I think the mentality is, let’s see where we are, and then we will see how President Trump feels about all this,” Besent told CNN.

A future options merchant works as a television that shows President Donald Trump talking on the floor of the American Stock Exchange in the New York Stock Exchange in New York City, on April 2, 2025.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
“Everyone feels, breathing deeply,” Besent said when asked about possible abroad reprisals. “Let’s see where this is going. Because if you retaliate, this is how we get the climb.”
“Doing anything eruption would be reckless,” Besent added.
Industry calls, instead of policies, are more likely to win Trump’s ear, said Besent. “They will be the calls of the industry that say: ‘It’s okay, how can we get them?’ And he will say: ‘You can get it, bring your factory to the United States,’ “he said.
-ABC News’ Kelsey Walsh and Hannah Demissie