Washington (TDI): President Donald Trump has sent formal letters to the leaders of 14 countries, including key trade allies Japan and South Korea, announcing a sharp increase in US tariffs, set to take effect on August 1.
The move signals a renewed push in Trump’s aggressive trade policy, escalating tensions with both strategic partners and smaller economies alike.
Letters posted Monday on Trump’s Truth Social platform laid out the terms: countries facing new 25% tariffs would be met with “equal or greater” retaliatory measures if they responded with tariff hikes of their own.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,” Trump wrote in similar letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders.
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Unlike existing sector-specific tariffs on automobiles, steel, and aluminum, these new levies will apply broadly and won’t stack on top of prior duties. That means Japan’s auto exports to the US, for example, will continue to face a 25% tariff instead of seeing that rate doubled.
Trump initially launched his global trade offensive in April, shaking up markets and forcing countries into fast-track negotiations. The new round of tariff notices included smaller trading partners like Tunisia, Thailand, and Serbia, suggesting no country is exempt from pressure.
To allow more time for talks, Trump signed an executive order on Monday delaying the original July 10 deadline. Countries now have until August 1 to reach individual deals or face the full brunt of the tariffs.
So far, only the UK and Vietnam have finalized agreements to avoid the new duties.
Trade watchers noted a slight shift in strategy. Japan’s new tariff rate is one percentage point higher than the figure floated in April, while South Korea’s remains unchanged. Trump had earlier capped the reciprocal tariffs at 10%, but that cap appears to have been quietly lifted.
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The full tariff list is sweeping: 25% on imports from Tunisia, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan; 30% on South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina; 32% on Indonesia; 35% on Serbia and Bangladesh; 36% on Cambodia and Thailand; and 40% on Laos and Myanmar.
In response, South Korea’s Industry Ministry said it would speed up negotiations with the US, viewing the August 1 implementation as an unofficial grace period.
“We aim to secure a mutually beneficial result that removes tariff-related uncertainty,” the ministry said in a statement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pushed back against the 30% tariff, pointing out that nearly 80% of US goods already enter South Africa duty-free. His spokesperson said Pretoria would keep working to resolve the matter diplomatically. Japan, meanwhile, has not officially responded to the new tariff threat.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
