Trump warns "take it or leave it" trade offers coming in days

• The mixed messaging is weighing on markets eager for clarity after months of trade war whiplash.

What they're saying: "At a certain point we're just going to send letters out, and I think you understand that, saying 'this is the deal, you can take it or you can leave it, you don't have to use it, you don't have to shop in the United States,'" Trump told reporters outside the Kennedy Center in Washington.

• "We're going to be sending letters out in about a week-and-a-half, two weeks."

Catch up quick: Trump imposed sweeping global tariffs April 2, but then paused the most severe ones a week later, setting a 90-day window for countries to make trade deals.

Yes, but: Trump said Wednesday he'd be willing to extend that looming July 8 deadline.

• "I would, but I don't think we're going to have that necessity," he said.
• His comments echo remarks Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made to the House Ways and Means Committee earlier in the day, saying it was "highly likely" there'd be delays for countries that were negotiating in good faith.

What to watch: Businesses, consumers and investors will be watching closely to see how severe those offer letters are, and whether other nations respond favorably.