Trump Administration Letters to Countries Threaten Tariffs If Trade Deals Not Reached by Aug. 1
President Trump on Monday, July 7, authorized letters to be sent to numerous countries, stating that if suitable trade agreements are not reached by Aug. 1, then they will be subject to additional tariffs.
The White House letters follow President Trump’s Executive Order issued April 2 which stated that articles imported into the U.S. from numerous countries will be subject to an additional tariff. On April 9, however, President Trump issued a 90-day pause, or July 9, on the tariffs.
“President Trump’s going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don’t move things along, then on Aug. 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN on Sunday, July 6.
President Trump posted on Truth Social, as examples, his letters to Japan and South Korea which indicate the administration will impose 25% tariffs on imports from these two countries by Aug. 1.