A collection of shipping containers fills a yard at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California, captured on May 15 by Alisha Jucevic for The Washington Post/Getty Images. President Donald Trump set a three-month deadline for negotiating trade deals with the United States, warning of increased “reciprocal” tariffs. As the deadline approaches, the White House is preparing to inform around a dozen countries that their new tariff rates will soon take effect.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews on Friday, Trump revealed plans to notify 10 to 12 nations daily in the next five days through letters detailing their updated tariffs. The President mentioned that these rates, ranging from 10% to 70%, would generally become effective on August 1.
In April, Trump had imposed tariffs of up to 50% on many of America’s trade partners, causing market turmoil. The upcoming tariff adjustments have raised concerns globally, with stock markets reacting negatively in anticipation.
The recipients of these tariff notifications have not been officially disclosed, although the administration has criticized trade practices of countries like the European Union and Japan. Trump’s ultimatum has urged negotiations to progress swiftly, with a self-imposed deadline of July 9 for finalizing deals.
While the European Union reported ongoing challenging negotiations with the U.S., the possibility of extending the July 9 deadline remains uncertain. Officials remain tight-lipped on the progress of talks, emphasizing the delicate nature of negotiations at this stage.
For countries still in negotiations, such as India, flexibility has been indicated by the White House and Treasury Secretary, suggesting a less rigid timeframe for reaching agreements. Trump hinted at a potential extension of the deadline, signaling a willingness to allow some leeway as discussions continue towards establishing fair trade arrangements.
“They will begin payments on August 1. Money will start flowing into the United States on August 1 in most cases,” stated Trump. Bessent, however, predicted a surge of deals before July 9. For those unable to reach agreements with the US, approximately 100 countries may continue facing the 10% minimum tariff rates imposed during Trump’s “Liberation Day” announcement on April 2.
Trump confirmed this week that “we have a couple of other deals” and mentioned maintaining tariffs for smaller countries. The administration has initiated trade deal negotiations with the UK and China, with an agreement reportedly reached with Vietnam, though details are scarce. Despite talk of imminent deals, the timeline for finalizing agreements keeps shifting.
Trump once mentioned the possibility of 200 deals being nearly complete, but later recognized the limitations of such a timeframe. The idea of implementing new tariffs for countries failing to negotiate terms has been discussed for over two months, with Trump now suggesting that letters will be sent out soon to inform countries of their business costs in the US.
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