Trump warns a dozen countries will get tariff letters Monday
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Trump Signs Tariff Letters to 12 Countries, Set for July 7 Release
The President announced on Friday that 12 countries will receive tariff letters. Trump declined to name the targeted countries, stating that the list would be made public once the letters are dispatched. The full list of the 12 countries is expected to be disclosed on July 7, with the letters detailing specific tariff rates per nation and product category. Trump initially favored launching detailed negotiations with multiple countries, but has reportedly lost patience due to delays and failed talks, particularly with Japan and the European Union. He offered no comment on whether broader trade deals might still be struck before the July 9 deadline.
“I signed some letters and they’ll go out on Monday — probably twelve,” Trump said. “Different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs.”
The announcement marks a significant escalation in Trump’s global trade strategy, which has already rattled financial markets and triggered concerns among policymakers worldwide.
In April 2025, Trump unveiled a 10% base tariff on all goods imported into the U.S., with the potential for additional country-specific surcharges as high as 50%. However, those additional tariffs were suspended for 90 days to allow time for negotiations. That suspension ends on July 9.
Now, Trump warns tariffs could climb even higher — up to 70% in some cases — and implementation is expected to begin August 1.
Trump initially favored launching detailed negotiations with multiple countries, but has reportedly lost patience due to delays and failed talks, particularly with Japan and the European Union.
“The letters are better… much easier to send a letter,” Trump told reporters Friday, suggesting a shift from drawn-out negotiations to unilateral tariff decisions.
The President offered no comment on whether broader trade deals might still be struck before the July 9 deadline.
Out of dozens of ongoing discussions, only two countries have finalized agreements with the Trump administration:
United Kingdom: Reached a deal in May to retain the 10% base tariff, with preferential treatment for sectors like autos and aircraft engines.
Vietnam: Secured a reduction in threatened tariffs from 46% to 20%, and gained duty-free access for many U.S. goods.
Efforts to finalize a trade agreement with India have stalled, and EU officials confirmed on Friday that their own negotiations with Washington have also failed to yield a breakthrough. European diplomats are now seeking to extend the status quo to prevent tariff hikes.
With the July 9 deadline looming, and tariffs potentially surging by August 1, the global trade landscape could face major disruptions in the coming weeks.
The full list of the 12 countries receiving tariff letters is expected to be disclosed on July 7, with the letters detailing specific tariff rates per nation and product category.
Trump says he is about to raise tariffs as high as 70% on some countries
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On April 9, President Donald Trump gave the world a three-month window to negotiate trade deals with the United States or face higher “reciprocal” tariffs. With just five days remaining in that tariff moratorium, the White House is expected to begin delivering a message to a dozen or so countries: Time is up, and here’s your new tariff rate.
Trump early Friday at Joint Base Andrews told reporters that he would notify 10 to 12 nations a day over the course of the next five days, detailing their new tariffs in letters that the White House would begin sending on Friday. In most cases, the new rates would go into effect August 1, Trump said.
“They’ll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs, but they’re going to be starting to go out sometime tomorrow,” Trump said. “We’ve done the final form, and it’s basically going to explain what the countries are going to be paying in tariffs.”
In April, Trump imposed “reciprocal” tariffs as high as 50% on most of America’s trading partners. So tariffs of 60% or 70% would exceed those rates, which sent stocks crumbling into bear-market territory, while bonds and the US dollar sold off sharply. US stocks and bonds markets were closed Friday for Independence Day, but stock markets and futures fell around the world.
Video Ad Feedback Hear Trump break down tariffs on various countries 02:59 – Source: CNN Hear Trump break down tariffs on various countries 02:59
It’s not clear yet which countries would receive the letters, but Trump has called out certain trading partners for driving too hard of a bargain, including the European Union and Japan. Trump this week threatened to send a letter to “spoiled” Japan setting its tariff rate as high as 35%. Still, that may have been a negotiating tactic, and it’s not known whether those partners will be among the countries for whom the White House will set new tariffs.
Trump said he expected the letters to be delivered by the administration’s self-imposed July 9 deadline to draft deals. The administration has said at times that its timeframe was flexible for countries that make a good-faith effort to negotiate with the United States.
On Friday, a European Union diplomat told CNN that the trading bloc was in the “middle of very difficult negotiations,” which would likely continue into the weekend as the deadline approaches.
The diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not permitted to speak on the record about closed-door meetings, told CNN the talks are proceeding in a constructive manner, but it is unclear whether the administration’s July 9 deadline will be extended if a finalized agreement isn’t reached in time.
Olof Gill, a trade spokesperson from the European Commission, said in a briefing Friday that he couldn’t share specifics about trade talks since they were in “a very sensitive phase of negotiations.”
For countries that are continuing to negotiate with the United States but have not yet reached a deal, including India, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last week that “the deadline is not critical.” That’s a point that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized to Fox Business last week, too, saying he thinks trade negotiations could be “wrapped up” by Labor Day, providing a more relaxed framework for inking deals than the previously prescribed July 9 deadline.
But Trump appeared to adjust that timeframe on Friday. Asked if countries would be afforded any flexibility with the tariff deadline, Trump said, “not really.”
“They’ll start to pay on August 1. The money will start to come into the United States on August 1, in pretty much all cases,” Trump said.
Still, Bessent on Thursday told Bloomberg TV that he predicted a “flurry” of deals before July 9. And for those who couldn’t reach an agreement with the United States, “about 100 countries” could continue to face only the 10% minimum tariff rates that the United States imposed during Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2.
Trump appeared to confirm that this week, saying, “We have a couple of other deals,” and, “As we get to the smaller countries, we’re pretty much going to keep the tariffs the same.”
‘How many deals could you make?’
So far, the administration has signed narrow frameworks for trade deal negotiations with just two partners: the United Kingdom and China. Trump this week said his administration has also reached an agreement with Vietnam, though the status of that arrangement remains unknown, and a framework does not appear to have been signed. The White House has not provided terms of the Vietnam agreement beyond a social media post from Trump.
For months, the Trump administration has said deals are imminent, working with 18 key partners to lower trade barriers while hundreds of other countries wait in line to get out from under the burden of higher tariffs.
At one point, Trump said 200 deals were possible and nearly done.
“I’ve made all the deals,” Trump said in a Time interview in late April, saying trade negotiations with foreign partners were nearly complete. “I’ve made 200 deals.”
More than two weeks later, Trump acknowledged that hundreds or even dozens of deals aren’t possible on such a short timeframe — a point he reiterated last Friday at a press briefing at the White House.
“You know, we have 200 countries,” Trump said. “We can’t do that. So at a certain point, over the next week and a half or so, or maybe before, we’re going to send out a letter. We talked to many of the countries, and we’re just going to tell them what they have to pay to do business in the United States. And it’s going to go very quickly.”
That idea of establishing new tariffs for countries that can’t or won’t reach a deal with the United States has been floating around for over two months, but the timeline keeps getting pushed back. On April 23, Trump said his administration would “set the tariff” for countries that fail to negotiate new terms in the following few weeks. On May 16, Trump said that “at a certain point, over the next two to three weeks … we’ll be telling people what they’ll be paying to do business in the United States.”
On Thursday, Trump said those letters are a day away.
“It’s just much easier,” Trump said. “We have far more than 170 countries, and how many deals could you make?”
CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald, Samantha Delouya and James Frater contributed to this report.
Trump tariffs live updates: Trump set to impose tariffs of up to 70% in letter push as July 9 deadline looms
President Trump has set a July 9 deadline for tariffs to snap back to higher levels. The US has eased export restrictions on China for chip design software and ethane, a sign that trade tensions are calming. Trump on Wednesday said he had reached a trade deal with Vietnam, one that will see the country’s imports face a 20% tariff — lower than the 46% he had threatened in April. Trump earlier this week said negotiations with Japan had soured, saying he would force Japan to accept higher tariffs of “30%, 35%, or whatever the number is”
Letters will start going out to countries on Friday to notify them of the tariff rates they will face on exports to the US, Trump told reporters, to go into effect on Aug. 1. The first 10 or 12 letters sent out will be followed by similar batches.
“By the ninth they’ll be fully covered,” Trump said in reference to the deadline, per Bloomberg. “They’ll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% tariffs to 10% and 20% tariffs.”
The Trump team has so far been focused on hammering out trade deals, though it has succeeded in nailing only three pacts so far.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said around 100 partners would likely see a minimum “reciprocal” rate of 10% come next week, adding that he expects a “flurry” of deals to materialize before the deadline.
Here is where things stand with various partners:
China : The US has eased export restrictions on China for chip design software and ethane, a sign that trade tensions are calming between the two countries after they agreed in May to a framework to move toward a larger trade deal. Software firms like Synopsys (SNPS) and Cadence (CDNS) said they will now sell their chip design tools to Chinese customers again. The US also removed limits on ethane exports to China that it had set just weeks ago.
Vietnam: Trump on Wednesday said he had reached a trade deal with Vietnam, one that will see the country’s imports face a 20% tariff — lower than the 46% he had threatened in April. He also said Vietnamese goods would face a higher 40% tariff “on any transshipping” — when goods shipped from Vietnam originate from another country, like China. Many US goods will see no duty upon import to Vietnam.
Japan: Trump earlier this week said negotiations with Japan had soured, saying he would force Japan to accept higher tariffs of “30%, 35%, or whatever the number is that we determine.” Notably, that proposal is higher than the 24% “Liberation Day” level. “They’re very tough. You have to understand, they’re very spoiled,” he said.
Trump threatens 17% tariffs on food and farm produce exports from Europe
The US president, Donald Trump, first delivered his plans for tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House on 2 April 2025. Trump has said he will write to about a dozen countries to tell them he will impose permanent tariffs of up to 70% after 9 July. The 90-day pause on Trump’s ‘liberation tariffs’ ends on Wednesday for more than 60 countries in addition to the EU which was more recently threatened with a 50% tariff. The EU remains optimistic for a high-level political agreement, but the threat gives a flavour of the US’s continued aggressive negotiating position.
Donald Trump threatened to impose 17% tariffs on food and farm produce exports from Europe during talks in Washington this week, it has emerged.
Such tariffs would hit everything from Belgian chocolate to Kerrygold butter from Ireland and olive oil from Italy, Spain and France, all big sellers in the US.
First reported in the Financial Times, sources confirmed that the EU trade commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič, was given the warning on Thursday when he met the US treasure secretary, Scott Bessent, trade representative Jamieson Greer and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
EU ambassadors were briefed on the threat on Friday.
The EU remains optimistic for a high-level political agreement, but the threat gives a flavour of the US’s continued aggressive negotiating position to extract a high price out of the EU, which Trump once described as “nastier” than China when it came to trade.
Trump has said he will write to about a dozen countries to tell them he will impose permanent tariffs of up to 70% after 9 July, his self-imposed deadline for more than 60 countries from Japan to Lesotho to reach a tariff deal.
“They’ll range in value from maybe 60% or 70% to 10% and 20% but they [the letters] are going to be starting to go out sometime tomorrow,” he told reporters.
EU trade spokesperson Olof Gill said on Friday evening that the EU’s priority continued to “favour a negotiated solution”.
He added that “progress was made towards an agreement in principle during the latest round of negotiations which took place this week” and negotiations would continue “on substance over the weekend”.
But the EU also made clear it is prepared for a potential trade war with retaliatory tariffs on everything from Bourbon to Boeing 747s if Trump walks away before Wednesday.
On Thursday, the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, confirmed that the EU was after a high level framework deal, saying it would be too difficult to get a comprehensive deal in the time available.
The EU is also seeking immediate relief from tariffs in key sectors as part of the framework including the auto industry which has to deal with a 27.5% tariff, up from 2.5% before Trump started his trade aggression.
“What we are aiming at is an agreement in principle,” she said in Denmark. “That is also what the UK did.”
The 90-day pause on Trump’s “liberation tariffs” ends on Wednesday for more than 60 countries in addition to the EU which was more recently threatened with a 50% tariff.
Donald Trump Threatens Tariffs Of Up To 70% Ahead July 9 Deadline
US President Donald Trump has warned that he will impose tariffs of up to 70% on imports from several key trading partners, beginning August 1. This comes as he nears the deadline for countries to reach trade agreements with the United States. The new tariffs will affect a wide range of goods, with rates varying by country. The announcement of these Donald Trump tariff increases has caused concern in global markets. Economists warn that the tariffs could add pressure on global inflation, as businesses may pass on the higher costs to consumers. The US leadership has threatened to start implementing the tariffs in case of failure to strike a deal prior to the July 9 deadline. This threat highlights the aggressive negotiating approach of the US as it hopes to obtain better trade terms. The White House had given countries a 90-day period to reach agreements, which Trump described as a “final opportunity”
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Donald Trump Trade Talks and Tariff Deadline
President Donald Trump set a deadline of July 9 for countries to negotiate new trade terms with the United States or face higher tariffs. According to Trump, the administration would begin sending out letters to a dozen countries on Friday, notifying them of the new tariffs. These letters will outline the tariff rates that will apply starting August 1. The new tariffs will range from 10% to 70%, depending on the country.
Trump’s administration had previously implemented a temporary 10% tariff on imports during a negotiation period that started in April. However, the president made it clear that the window for further negotiations is now closing.
“They’ll start to pay on August 1,” Trump said. “The money will start coming into the United States on 1 August.”
The White House had given countries a 90-day period to reach agreements, which Trump described as a “final opportunity.” Despite this, some countries are still in talks, and the deadline remains firm.
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Possible Effects on Global Markets
The announcement of these Donald Trump tariff increases has caused concern in global markets. As countries prepare for the implementation of these tariffs, stock markets in Asia and Europe have seen a decline. Economists warn that the tariffs could add pressure on global inflation, as businesses may pass on the higher costs to consumers.
Countries that do not finalize deals by the deadline could face substantial tariff increases. According to Trump, these countries will be required to pay higher fees to access the US market. This shift could impact industries such as technology, manufacturing, and agriculture.
Economists have warned that tariffs could lead to increased costs for American consumers. Despite this, the Trump administration is determined to use tariffs as leverage to extract more favorable trade terms.
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Countries Affected by New Donald Trump Tariffs
Korea, Indonesia, Switzerland and the European Union are some of the countries in urgent talks with the United States. Donald Trump has not yet disclosed the particular countries in which the highest tariffs are going to be imposed, but his recent words towards Japan are likely to affect some of them.
In previous remarks, Donald Trump has blamed nations such as Japan and the EU because they exploit trade agreements with the United States. He has also cited the threat of erecting 17% higher tariffs on EU food and agricultural produce including Belgian chocolate, Irish butter and Italian olive oil.
Although the negotiations are continuing between the US and the EU, the US leadership has threatened to start implementing the tariffs in case of failure to strike a deal prior to the July 9 deadline. This threat highlights the aggressive negotiating approach of the US as it hopes to obtain better trade terms.
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Kelvin Munene Murithi Kelvin Munene is a crypto and finance journalist with over 5 years of experience, offering in-depth market analysis and expert commentary . With a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Actuarial Science from Mount Kenya University, Kelvin is known for his meticulous research and strong writing skills, particularly in cryptocurrency, blockchain, and financial markets. His work has been featured across top industry publications such as Coingape, Cryptobasic, MetaNews, Cryptotimes, Coinedition, TheCoinrepublic, Cryptotale, and Analytics Insight among others, where he consistently provides timely updates and insightful content. Kelvin’s focus lies in uncovering emerging trends in the crypto space, delivering factual and data-driven analyses that help readers make informed decisions. His expertise extends across market cycles, technological innovations, and regulatory shifts that shape the crypto landscape. Beyond his professional achievements, Kelvin has a passion for chess, traveling, and exploring new adventures.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2025/07/05/trump-tariffs-letters