Back in April, Trump had claimed to have done "over 200 deals" in an interview with Time Magazine, and trade advisor Peter Navarro had said that "90 deals in 90 days" was possible. The country has fallen far short of that, with only eight deals in 120 days, including one with the 27-member European Union.

Foreign trade delegations are engaged in frantic last-minute talks to avoid punishingly high tariffs just after midnight on Friday.