'Heck of a lot of concessions on the table,' says Washington official after

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White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett speaking to reporters at the White House in Washington on March 19. (AP-Yonhap)

US President Donald Trump is prioritizing negotiations with two of America's "closest" allies, South Korea and Japan, a senior White House official said Tuesday, as dozens of countries are seeking to engage in talks with Washington over new US tariffs.

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, made the remarks in a Fox News interview, as US trading partners are seeking to lower new tariffs that the Trump administration has announced to increase federal government revenue, reduce America's trade deficits and bolster domestic manufacturing.

Last Wednesday, Trump announced a minimum 10 percent "baseline" tariff and higher "reciprocal" tariffs on what his administration called the list of the "worst offenders." The reciprocal tariff for South Korea and Japan was 25 percent and 24 percent, respectively.

"He obviously prioritizes two of our closest allies and trading partners, Japan and Korea," he said, noting the Trump administration is currently managing a "massive" number of requests for negotiations that he cast as "logistically quite challenging to go through."

"And the word out of those conversations was really positive ... and positive really for American workers and farmers."

He added that there're a "heck of a lot of concessions on the table," but did not elaborate.

"In the end, the president, of course, is going to be the one who decides whether the deal is good enough to change his mind about the tariffs," he said.

During a Senate hearing, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer pointed out that the Trump administration is open to "alternative" ideas from trading partners to pursue "reciprocal" trade, noting that nearly 50 countries have approached him to discuss Trump's new tariff policy and explore how to achieve "reciprocity."

"As the countries come to approach us, what we've told them is if you have a better idea to achieve reciprocity and to get our trade deficit down, we want to talk to you (and) we want to negotiate with you," he said.

He underscored trade barriers from trading partners, such as exports driven by subsidies, unfair trading practices and other non-reciprocal treatment.

"So these are the kinds of things that should be targeted," he said. "I don't want to prejudge the negotiations, but if they are able to provide an alternative plan that can further these objectives, I think we are open to that."

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that a total of 104 percent tariffs will be applied to goods from China starting Wednesday, while stressing that it was a "mistake" for China to levy retaliatory tariffs on the US.

On Monday, Trump warned his administration will impose additional 50 percent tariffs on China if Beijing does not withdraw its retaliatory 34 percent tariffs against the US The planned 50 percent tariff is in addition to a 34 percent reciprocal tariff for China and the already imposed 20 percent duties on the Asian superpower.

"It was a mistake for China to retaliate. The president ... when America is punched, he punches back," Leavitt told a press briefing. "That's why there will be 104 percent tariffs going into effect on China at midnight."

In a social media post, Trump said that China also wants to make a deal "badly."

"But they don't know how to get it started. We are waiting for their call," he wrote on Truth Social. (Yonhap)