President Donald Trump said the August 1 effective date for his planned "reciprocal" tariffs remains "firm" but "not 100 percent firm," indicating he is prepared to consider alternative arrangements if trading partners present new proposals before the deadline. Speaking to reporters late Monday, Trump added that he would "be open" if other countries "call up and say we’d like to do something a different way," underscoring some flexibility in the timetable. The comments introduce fresh uncertainty for businesses and investors that have been preparing for the duties to take effect at the start of next month.