Netanyahu seeks tariff cuts, promises to fix US trade gap

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would work to eliminate trade barriers and deficits with the US during a meeting with President Donald Trump as he sought a reprieve from reciprocal tariffs.

- Agencies

WASHINGTON:

"We will eliminate the trade deficit with the United States," Netanyahu said at the White House on Monday. "We intend to do it very quickly. We think it's the right thing to do. And we're going to also eliminate trade barriers."

The visit, with one of Trump's closest political allies, is an early test case for the US administration's willingness to negotiate with trading partners over the tariffs announced by Trump last week.

Netanyahu acknowledged as much, saying Israel could "serve as a model for many countries" on how to approach the trade dispute.

Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to visit the White House since the US president last week unveiled a new slate of levies on other nations that have sent global markets into a tailspin and raised fears of a recession.