President Donald Trump sent letters to 14 nations Monday announcing tariffs on imported goods from their countries will start Aug. 1.
At the time of publication, the president addressed letters to the leaders of South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar, Kazakhstan and South Africa in a series of social media posts.
“The President is going to create tailor made trade plans for each and every country on this planet,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday.
So far, Trump’s plans include 25% tariffs on goods made in the United States and sold in Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Tunisia and Malaysia; 30% tariffs on South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina; 32% against Indonesia; 35% against Bangladesh, Serbia; 36% tariffs against Thailand and Cambodia; and 40% tariffs on Laos and Myanmar. The president left open the possibility to double tariffs on each country if it decides to issue retaliatory tariffs.
“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 [percentage] we charge,” Trump wrote in each letter.
Leavitt said Trump delayed the deadline from July 9 for trade deals in order to finalize details that are “best for the American worker.”
“We want the best deals possible for our workers, for our manufacturing base, for our middle class,” Leavitt said.
Trump signed an executive order on Monday evening officially extending the tariff suspension to Aug. 1.
“I have determined, based on additional information and recommendations from various senior officials, including information on the status of discussions with trading partners, that it is necessary and appropriate to extend the suspension,” the order reads.
Peter Navarro, an American economist and senior counsel to President Trump for trade and manufacturing defended the tariff deadline extension on Monday.
“We’re collecting billions of dollars on behalf of the American people,” Navarro said to press in front of the White House on Monday.
Navarro blamed other countries for “dragging their heels” which has prevented the United States from locking in trade deals by July 9.
“The rest of the world has it so good that they’re dragging their heels,” Navarro said. “The President will not allow that, that’s why the letters went out,” Navarro added.
Leavitt also addressed the president’s attention to the BRICS bloc of developing nations summit this week in Brazil as he continues to negotiate trade policies.
Leaders of the summit condemned the increase of tariffs by the United States and the attack on Iran, without naming Trump.
“The President feels, generally speaking, that BRICS is seeking to undermine the interests of the United States,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt said Trump’s tariff plan consists of targeting countries with trade deals that do not benefit the American economy.
“He is literally looking at the map and looking at every country on the planet and seeing where they are ripping off the American people, seeing where they have hollowed out our industrial base, seeing where our jobs have gone overseas because of their tariff policies,” Leavitt said.
“The President is taking a very deliberate approach to correcting this wrong of so many decades of past presidents,” Leavitt added.
