A look at the countries that received Trump’s tariff letters

US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2025. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 11, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 13 July 2025

A look at the countries that received Trump’s tariff letters

A look at the countries that received Trump’s tariff letters
  • Nearly every country has faced a minimum 10 percent levy on goods entering the US since April, on top of other levies on specific products like steel and automobiles. And future escalation is still possible

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has sent letters this week outlining higher tariffs countries will face if they don’t make trade deals with the US by Aug. 1.
Some mirror the so-called “reciprocal” rates Trump unveiled against dozens of trading partners in April — the bulk of which were later postponed just hours after taking effect. But many are higher or lower than those previously announced amounts.
So far, Trump has warned the European Union and 24 nations, including major trading partners like South Korea and Japan, that steeper tariffs will be imposed starting Aug. 1.
Nearly all of these letters took the same general tone with the exception of Brazil, Canada, the EU and Mexico, which included more specifics about Trump’s issues with those countries.
Nearly every country has faced a minimum 10 percent levy on goods entering the US since April, on top of other levies on specific products like steel and automobiles. And future escalation is still possible. In his letters, which were posted on Truth Social, Trump warned countries that they would face even higher tariffs if they retaliated by increasing their own import taxes.
Here’s a look at the countries that have gotten tariff letters so far — and where things stand now:
Brazil
Tariff rate: 50 percent starting Aug. 1. Brazil wasn’t threatened with an elevated “reciprocal” rate in April — but, like other countries, has faced Trump’s 10 percent baseline over the last three months.
Key exports to the US: Petroleum, iron products, coffee and fruit juice.
Response: In a forceful response, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Trump’s tariffs would trigger the country’s economic reciprocity law — which allows trade, investment and intellectual property agreements to be suspended against countries that harm Brazil’s competitiveness. He also noted that the US has had a trade surplus of more than $410 billion with Brazil over the past 15 years.
Myanmar
Tariff rate: 40 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 44 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Clothing, leather goods and seafood
Response: Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, the spokesperson for Myanmar’s military government said it will follow up with negotiations.
Laos
Tariff rate: 40 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 48 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Shoes with textile uppers, wood furniture, electronic components and optical fiber
Cambodia
Tariff rate: 36 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 49 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Textiles, clothing, shoes and bicycles
Response: Cambodia’s chief negotiator, Sun Chanthol, said the country successfully got the tariff dropped from the 49 percent Trump announced in April to 36 percent and is ready to hold a new round of negotiations. He appealed to investors, especially factory owners, and the country’s nearly 1 million garment workers not to panic about the tariff rate announced Monday.
Thailand
Tariff rate: 36 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s the same rate that was announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Computer parts, rubber products and gemstones
Response: Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Pichai Chunhavajira said Thailand will continue to push for tariff negotiations with the United States. Thailand on Sunday submitted a new proposal that includes opening the Thai market for more American agricultural and industrial products and increasing imports of energy and aircraft.
Bangladesh
Tariff rate: 35 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 37 percent announced in April.
Key export to the US: Clothing
Response: Bangladesh’s finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed said Bangladesh hopes to negotiate for a better outcome. There are concerns that additional tariffs would make Bangladesh’s garment exports less competitive with countries like Vietnam and India.
Canada
Tariff rate: 35 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s up from 25 percent imposed earlier this year on goods that don’t comply with a North American trade agreement covering the US, Canada and Mexico. Some of Canada’s top exports to the US are subject to different industry-specific tariffs.
Key exports to the US: Oil and petroleum products, cars and trucks
Response: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on X early Friday that the government will continue to work toward a trade deal by the new Aug. 1 deadline.
Serbia
Tariff rate: 35 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 37 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Software and IT services; car tires
Indonesia
Tariff rate: 32 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s the same rate that was announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Palm oil, cocoa butter and semiconductors
Algeria
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s the same rate that was announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Petroleum, cement and iron products
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 35 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Weapons and ammunition
The European Union
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s up from 20 percent announced in April but less than the 50 percent Trump later threatened.
Key exports to the US: Pharmaceuticals, cars, aircraft, chemicals, medical instruments, and wine and spirits.
Iraq
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 39 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Crude oil and petroleum products
Response: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the tariffs would disrupt essential supply chains “to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic.” She said the EU remains ready to continue working toward an agreement but will take necessary steps to safeguard EU interests, including countermeasures if required.
Libya
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 31 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Petroleum products
Mexico
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s up from 25 percent imposed earlier this year on goods that don’t comply with the free trade agreement covering the US, Mexico and Canada. Some of Mexico’s top exports to the US are subject to other sector-specific tariffs.
Key exports to the US: Cars, motor vehicle parts and accessories, crude oil, delivery trucks, computers, agricultural products
South Africa
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s the same rate that was announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Platinum, diamonds, vehicles and auto parts
Response: The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump mischaracterized the trade relationship with the US, but it would “continue with its diplomatic efforts toward a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States” after having proposed a trade framework on May 20.
Sri Lanka
Tariff rate: 30 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 44 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Clothing and rubber products
Brunei
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s up from 24 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Mineral fuels and machinery equipment
Moldova
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 31 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Fruit juice, wine, clothing and plastic products
Japan
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s up from 24 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Autos, auto parts, electronic
Response: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called the tariff “extremely regrettable” but said he was determined to continue negotiating.
Kazakhstan
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 27 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Oil, uranium, ferroalloys and silver
Malaysia
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s up from 24 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Electronics and electrical products
Response: Malaysia’s government said it will pursue talks with the US A cabinet meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
South Korea
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s the same rate that was announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Vehicles, machinery and electronics
Response: South Korea’s Trade Ministry said early Tuesday that it will accelerate negotiations with the United States to achieve a deal before the 25 percent tax goes into effect.
Tunisia
Tariff rate: 25 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 28 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Animal and vegetable fats, clothing, fruit and nuts
Philippines
Tariff rate: 20 percent starting Aug. 1. That’s down from 17 percent announced in April.
Key exports to the US: Electronics and machinery, clothing and gold


Ukraine’s president says the world is in `the most destructive arms race in human history’

Ukraine’s president says the world is in `the most destructive arms race in human history’
Updated 7 sec ago

Ukraine’s president says the world is in `the most destructive arms race in human history’

Ukraine’s president says the world is in `the most destructive arms race in human history’
  • Urges EU nations to help stop Russian interference in Moldova before it's too late
  • Says if Putin isn’t stopped now, he will keep driving the war forward, “wider and deeper”

UNITED NATIONS: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told global leaders Wednesday that the world is in “the most destructive arms race in human history” and urged the international community to act against Russia now, asserting that Vladimir Putin wants to expand his war in Europe.
In a bleak view of today’s world, he told the annual high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly that weak international institutions including the United Nations haven’t been able to stop wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan and elsewhere, and international law can’t help nations survive.
“Weapons decide who survives,” the Ukrainian leader said. “There are no security guarantees except friends and weapons.”
Zelensky spoke from the podium of the vast assembly chamber a day after he met with President Donald Trump, who expressed support for Ukraine’s efforts and criticized Russia. Trump said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the US leader’s repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war sparked by President Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 invasion of its smaller neighbor.
Zelensky did not comment on the surprise US pivot, saying only that he had “a good meeting” with Trump and with many other “strong leaders.”
“Together, we can change a lot,” he said, expressing appreciation for support from the United States. and Europe and urging all UN member nations to condemn Russia while it “keeps dragging this war on.”
If Putin isn’t stopped now, the Ukrainian president warned the assembly that he will keep driving the war forward, “wider and deeper.”
“Ukraine is only the first, and now Russian drones are already flying across Europe, and Russian operations are already spreading across countries,” he said.

Worries about Moldova
Zelensky said neighboring Moldova is defending itself again from Russian interference and should not be allowed to move toward dependency on Russia as Georgia and Belarus are. “Europe cannot afford to lose Moldova, too,” he said, stressing that the country needs funding and energy support, not just “political gestures.”
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Zelensky said, weapons and especially drones “are evolving faster than our ability to defend ourselves.”
While drones previously were used by major countries, he said, “Now, there are tens of thousands of people who know how to professionally kill using drones.”
Recently, European airports had to shut down because of drones, Zelensky said, and last week North Korea announced the test of “a tactical drone” which means even countries with limited resources can build dangerous weapons.
“We are now living through the most destructive arms race in human history, because this time it includes artificial intelligence,” he said. “Companies are already working on drones that can shoot down other drones, and it’s only a matter of time — not much — before drones are fighting drones, attacking critical infrastructure and attacking people all by themselves – fully autonomous and no human involved except the few who control AI system.”
Zelensky echoed UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in calling for global rules on how AI can be used in weapons, stressing that “this is just as urgent as preventing the spread of nuclear weapons.”
Stopping Putin now is cheaper than trying to protect every port and airport and every ship from drone attacks, and having to build underground schools and health centers as Ukraine has been forced to do to protect its citizens, he said. “Stopping Russia now is cheaper than wondering who will be the first to create a simple drone carrying a nuclear warhead.”
“So we must use everything we have together to force the aggressor to stop, and only then do we have a real chance that this arms race will not end in catastrophe for all of us,” the Ukrainian leader said.
The Ukrainian leader said his country doesn’t have “big fat missiles dictators love to show off in parades” but it is producing drones that can fly 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers which have been used against Russia.
Zelensky said Ukraine is building a new security architecture, and more than 30 countries are part of its coalition, and “we have decided to open up for arms exports – and these are powerful systems tested in a real war when every international institution failed.”


Hillary Clinton slams RFK Jr. and the spread of ‘crackpot ideas,’ saying they are costing lives

Hillary Clinton slams RFK Jr. and the spread of ‘crackpot ideas,’ saying they are costing lives
Updated 10 min 10 sec ago

Hillary Clinton slams RFK Jr. and the spread of ‘crackpot ideas,’ saying they are costing lives

Hillary Clinton slams RFK Jr. and the spread of ‘crackpot ideas,’ saying they are costing lives
  • “I mean, this is so crazy, it’s so wrongheaded, it’s so shortsighted. And it’s going to cause deaths,” Clinton said during an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”

Hillary Clinton on Wednesday slammed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and accused the Trump administration of turning “the clock back” on public health.
Clinton expressed alarm about people in the country listening to “crackpot ideas” after a press conference Monday in which the Secretary of Health and Human Services and President Donald Trump made a series of unproven statements about Tylenol, childhood vaccines and autism.
“I mean, this is so crazy, it’s so wrongheaded, it’s so shortsighted. And it’s going to cause deaths,” she said during an appearance Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “These guys want to literally turn the clock back.”
Clinton, the former secretary of state and Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent for president, said the statements would lead to confusion.
“When your president says something, when a Kennedy, who’s the secretary of HHS, says something, what are you supposed to believe?” she asked.
“You know, people are confused. And too many Americans are listening to this, you know, very destructive anti-science tirade that we’re hearing from this administration. And it’s going to cost lives. It already is costing lives.”
In a statement, White House spokesman Kush Desai chided Clinton, saying that her “open contempt and condescension toward everyday Americans is exactly why she so devastatingly lost in 2016 to President Trump and why she’s no longer relevant.”


Syria’s Sharaa, Trump meet on sidelines of UN General Assembly

Syria’s Sharaa, Trump meet on sidelines of UN General Assembly
Updated 25 September 2025

Syria’s Sharaa, Trump meet on sidelines of UN General Assembly

Syria’s Sharaa, Trump meet on sidelines of UN General Assembly
  • Earlier on Monday,Al-Sharaa met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York
  • Trump had previously easedsanctions long imposed on Syria in a bid to ensure the country becomes a stable player in the Middle East

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Syrian state news agency SANA said early on Thursday.
SANA released a photograph showing Al-Sharaa shaking hands with Trump, with First Lady Melania Trump also present. The agency provided no further details.
This was the second meeting between the two leaders, following their meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in May.

Earlier on Monday, Al-Sharaa met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York, expanding relations with the West and further easing his country’s isolation. He also became Syria’s first leader to take part in a UN high-level meeting in nearly 60 years.
The last time a Syrian head of state attended the UN General Assembly gathering of world leaders was in 1967 — before the 50-year rule of the Assad family dynasty. A lightning insurgent offensive led by Al-Sharaa ousted Bashar Assad in December and brought nearly 14 years of civil war to an end.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes (left) hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as President Donald Trump delivers remarks to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025. (AFP)

Since then, Al-Sharaa has sought to restore ties with Arab countries and the West, where officials were initially wary of his past ties with the Al-Qaeda militant group. The rebel group he formerly led, Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, was previously designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist group.
President Trump’s administration has erased that designation and eased sanctions long imposed on Syria in a bid to ensure the country becomes a stable player in the Middle East following its global isolation under Assad.
Rubio “underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President Trump’s historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people,” the State Department said in a statement.
“They discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts, efforts to locate missing Americans, and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security,” the department said.
However, Al-Sharaa again expressed doubt that Syria would join the Abraham Accords, which saw several Arab states normalize relations with Israel during Trump’s first term. That is even as Syria is in talks with the US and Israel over a potential security arrangement that could be finalized as early as this week.
“There’s a big difference between Syria and those members in the Abraham Accords,” he said earlier Monday at the Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum in New York. “Syria is different. And those who are part of the Abraham Accords are not neighbors to Israel. Therefore, Syria as a neighbor has been subjected to over 1,000 raids, strikes and Israeli incursions.”
He added that “Syria has to be respected in this new era. There are different phases of negotiations with Israel to go back to the truce of 1974.”

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (left) applauds after US President Donald Trump's speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, 2025. (AFP)

The comments from Al-Sharaa came in a conversation with retired Gen. David Petraeus, who commanded troops in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and previously served as CIA director.
They met in a New York conference hall after fighting on opposite sides of the US-led war in Iraq two decades ago. Al-Sharaa was an Al-Qaeda militant imprisoned by American forces, while Petraeus was the architect of a military strategy that for a time succeeded in suppressing the extremist group.
At the forum, Al-Sharaa praised Trump, whom he met in in May, for taking a “bold decision” on lifting many sanctions against Syria. “I think Syria deserves a new opportunity,” Al-Sharaa said.
However, some sanctions remain, and the State Department had to waive Assad-era visa restrictions on Syria for Al-Sharaa and his delegation so they could participate in the UN meeting of world leaders, which kicks off Tuesday.
Al-Sharaa urged the United States to remove the remaining sanctions, saying Syria needs help as it comes out of war and crisis.
“The Syrian people should not be killed another time through the sanctions,” he said. “The Syrian people love work. Lift the sanctions, and don’t worry about them.”
He also met in New York with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, ranking Democrats on the foreign relations committees, and Shaheen emphasized that Congress should pass legislation she is co-sponsoring to lift penalties still in place, according to a statement from the Senate committee.
Asked about atrocities committed against members of minorities in the coastal region and the southern province of Sweida that have caused alarm in the US and elsewhere, Al-Sharaa said “there was major chaos and everyone made mistakes.”
He noted that for the first time in 60 years, Syria has allowed international fact-finding teams into the country.
“The Syrian state will work on accountability against those found guilty even if they were the closest people to us,” he said.
 


Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at UN and Secret Service is looking into the matter

Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at UN and Secret Service is looking into the matter
Updated 12 min 59 sec ago

Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at UN and Secret Service is looking into the matter

Trump says he was victim of ‘triple sabotage’ at UN and Secret Service is looking into the matter
  • Says UN elevator, teleprompter and loudspeaker all failing for him were no coincidence; looks forward to the arrest of whoever were responsible
  • UN spokesman saysa videographer from the US delegation may have “inadvertently” triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he was the victim of “three very sinister events” during his time at the United Nations on Tuesday and that the Secret Service will be looking into the issues.
The president was attending the UN General Assembly, where he gave a speech excoriating the institution for having squandered its potential. He also criticized US allies in Europe for their handling of the Russian war in Ukraine and their acceptance of immigrants as he told fellow world leaders that their nations were “going to hell.”
On his social media website, Trump indicated that he was in a sour mood at the UN because of a trio of mishaps that he suggested was part of a conspiracy against him.

US President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump ride an escalator as they arrive to attend the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Sept. 23, 2025. (REUTERS)

First, the escalator came to a “screeching halt” with Trump and his entourage on it, an event that Trump called “absolutely sabotage.”
Stephane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, said a videographer from the US delegation who ran ahead of Trump may have “inadvertently” triggered the stop mechanism at the top of the escalator.
“The people that did it should be arrested,” Trump said on Truth Social.
Second, Trump said his teleprompter went “stone cold dark” during his address to the UN. The problem with that accusation is the White House was responsible for operating the teleprompter for the president, according to a UN official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Third, Trump said that the sound was off at the UN as he spoke and that people could only hear his remarks if they had interpreters speaking into earpieces. Trump said his wife, Melania, told him she couldn’t hear what he said.
“This wasn’t a coincidence, this was triple sabotage,” said Trump, who is seeking an investigation of the matter.
Trump told the UN to save its security tapes regarding the escalator stoppage as the Secret Service will be involved in the inquiry.

It’s not unusual for escalators at the UN to stop working, as staff and visitors know quite well. In recent months, UN offices in New York and Geneva have intermittently turned off elevators and escalators as part of steps to save money because of a “liquidity crisis” at the world body. That’s due in part to delays in funding from the United States, which is the top donor of the world body.


Some leaders at UN condemn ‘sick expression of joy,’ ‘macabre response’ to Charlie Kirk’s killing

Some leaders at UN condemn ‘sick expression of joy,’ ‘macabre response’ to Charlie Kirk’s killing
Updated 25 September 2025

Some leaders at UN condemn ‘sick expression of joy,’ ‘macabre response’ to Charlie Kirk’s killing

Some leaders at UN condemn ‘sick expression of joy,’ ‘macabre response’ to Charlie Kirk’s killing
  • Decrying the “sick expression of joy for the crime committed against an innocent person,” Serbian President Alexsandar Vucic told assembled leaders on Wednesday

The reaction over Charlie Kirk’s assassination touched yet another constituency this week: the collection of world leaders gathered at the United Nations.
Two weeks after Kirk was shot and killed in Utah, several of the world leaders gathered at for the UN General Assembly this week referenced the conservative activist’s slaying — and some of the divisive outpouring of reaction to it — as evidence of deeper fissures in global society.
Decrying the “sick expression of joy for the crime committed against an innocent person,” Serbian President Alexsandar Vucic told assembled leaders on Wednesday that reaction to Kirk’s death represents “the best confirmation of that.”
Social media lit up in the days after Kirk’s Sept. 10 death with people mourning his loss — some of whom said they disagreed with Kirk’s ideological stances but supported his right to voice them — as well as those celebrating it.
It set off a national discussion about freedom of speech. Comments led to the firings of numerous people, from political analysts and opinion writers to school employees. Several conservative activists sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as offensive or celebratory, targeting everyone from journalists to teachers.
On Wednesday, Vucic said reaction to the conservative activist’s assassination was demarcated “less by ideological but much more by emotional hate driven differences.”
“Such a development devastates in a deepest and clearest way the world political community much more than conflicts with clear and visible actors,” Vucic said, remarking on how such a seemingly singular event can evoke such strong reactions across the globe.
“He was savagely assassinated just because his killer did not like his ideas,” Vucic said of Kirk, suggesting that some of the reaction in the slaying’s aftermath caused yet more damage in terms of the division it sowed. “He was shot even after death by the same ones who had prepared political and media grounds for his assassination.”
Kirk was assassinated during a Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University. US President Donald Trump and other administration leaders gathered Sunday at a memorial service, where other speakers noted the worldwide reaction to Kirk’s death, mentioning areas around the world where memorials had sprung up.
Paraguayan President Santiago Peña also mentioned Kirk in his speech Wednesday, saying in Spanish that he was “shaken, saddened, and distressed” by Kirk’s killing and arguing that the “macabre response must awaken us from our sleepy state of complacency.”
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned Kirk, as well as last month’s stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on Charlotte’s light rail system, as representative of “headlines about violent attacks happening all around the world.”
“Sadly, his life was short by a bullet,” Zelensky said of Kirk. “Once again, violence with a rifle in hand.”