President Trump announced that the White House will begin notifying countries of renewed tariffs starting Friday, ending a 90-day pause that had temporarily eased trade tensions. The pause, first declared in April, was intended to allow time for individual trade deals to be negotiated. But with most countries failing to reach an agreement, the administration is moving forward with a new round of duties—some steeper than before.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews after a rally in Iowa, Trump said letters would begin going out immediately, starting with around a dozen countries and expanding over the coming days. The administration expects all tariff notifications to be delivered by July 9, with duties ranging from 10 to 70 percent. The higher rates would apply to nations with what the administration considers significant trade imbalances. “It’s a lot of money for the country, but we’re giving them a bargain,” Trump told reporters.
The original round of so-called reciprocal tariffs had been based on a formula using each country’s trade balance with the United States. Even smaller economies with little purchasing power, like Lesotho or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, saw duties ranging from 11 to 50 percent, in addition to a flat 10 percent base tariff imposed globally. The administration had briefly scaled those duties back to a uniform 10 percent after financial markets reacted negatively, but that temporary reprieve is now coming to an end.
Some countries have managed to secure bilateral deals to soften the blow. The United Kingdom locked in a 10 percent rate in early May, while Vietnam agreed to 20 percent tariffs on direct exports and higher duties on transshipped Chinese goods. China, which initially faced a 145 percent tariff, brokered a temporary truce that reduced its rate to 30 percent. But other major economies, including Japan, India, Malaysia, and the European Union, have made little progress.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that about 100 countries would likely face the minimum 10 percent rate. However, he also suggested that further deals could still be reached, with negotiations potentially extending through August. Speaking on Bloomberg Television, Bessent said, “I think we’re going to see a lot of action over the coming days.”
Meanwhile, a legal challenge continues to cast uncertainty over the tariffs’ future. The reciprocal tariffs were imposed under a decades-old statute citing national security risks tied to trade deficits. Though the courts have allowed them to remain in effect during the appeals process, a ruling against the administration could disrupt the entire framework.
As of now, the administration is proceeding aggressively. Duties are scheduled to begin collection on August 1, even as the White House braces for more diplomatic and legal resistance.