April 7 (UPI) -- In a White House meeting on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Donald Trump that his nation will help the United States eliminate trade deficits.
In the Oval Office, Netanyahu said his nation is "going to also eliminate trade barriers, a variety of trade barriers, that have been put up unnecessarily."
Last week, the nation said it would end duties against its biggest trading partner.
Trump imposed a 17% tariff on Israeli goods, based on a trade deficit that took effect Saturday. Most of the 180 nations to which the president extended tariffs were hit with a baseline 10% increase, although roughly 60 "worst offenders" received higher rates that are scheduled to go into effect Wednesday.
The president wasn't sure if the United States would lower the rate against Israel.
"Well, we're talking about a whole new trade -- maybe not, maybe not. Now, don't forget we help Israel a lot," Trump said. "You know, we give Israel $4 billion a year. That's a lot."
Trump told reporters he isn't planning a pause in the duties though the Trump administration is talking to several nations.
"Well, we're not looking at that," Trump said. "We have many, many countries that are coming to negotiate deals with us. And they're going to be fair deals. And certain cases, they're going to be paying substantial tariffs. They'll be fair deals."
He said the negotiations and planned tariffs "can both be true."
"There can be permanent tariffs, and there can also be negotiations because there are things that we need beyond tariffs," the president said.
Earlier in the day, Trump greeted Netanyahu at about 1:30 p.m. but took no questions from the media. A formal news conference had been scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in the East Room of the White House, but it was called off shortly before Netanyahu's arrival.
Meanwhile, as stock indexes closed in the afternoon, the Dow Jones Industrials went down 349.26 points, or 0.91%, to 37,995.60. Standard & Poor's dropped 0.23% and Nasdaq Composite was up 0.1%.
According to Netanyahu's office, Trump and Netanyahu were to "discuss the tariff issue, the efforts to return our hostages, Israel-Turkey relations, the Iranian threat and the battle against the International Criminal Court."
The two leaders met on Feb. 4 in the White House after Israel and Hamas signed a cease-fire and hostage release deal on Jan. 19, one day before Trump was inaugurated. He was the first foreign leader to meet Trump the second time in the White House.
Netanyahu also met twice with former President Joe Biden after the war with Hamas started on Oct. 7, 2023.
During Trump's first term, he visited Israel in May 2017, and Netanyahu traveled to the White House in February 2017, March 2018, March 2019 and January 2020.
On Thursday, Trump spoke on the phone with Netanyahu, who was in Hungary, where he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest. He applauded Orban for dropping out of the ICC, calling it "bold and principled." Last May, ICC issued an arrest warrant against him and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alleging war crimes in Gaza.
Earlier, Netanyahu and Trump had planned to meet in late April but decided to move it up.
Nertanyahu arrived in Washington on Sunday. He met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at Blair House.
