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Donald Trump serves up new tariffs

Donald Trump serves up new tariffs

The Advertiser16 hours ago
President Donald Trump says the US will impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea beginning August 1 as he unveiled the first two of what he has said will be a wave of letters to trading partners outlining the new levies they face.
Trump also announced the US will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30 per cent on South Africa and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Indonesia was hit with a 32 per cent tariff and Cambodia and Thailand 36 per cent.
Bosnia copped 30 per cent, while Bangladesh and Serbia got 35 per cent.
"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 per cent that we charge," Trump said in letters to the leaders of South Korea and Japan, which he posted on his Truth Social platform.
The rate for South Korea is the same that Trump initially announced on April 2, while the rate for Japan is one point higher than first announced.
Trump a week later capped all of the so-called reciprocal tariffs at 10 per cent until July 9 to allow for negotiations.
There was no immediate response from the Japanese or South Korean embassies on the announcement.
Only two agreements have so far been reached, with Britain and Vietnam.
US stocks fell in response, the latest market ruction since Trump unleashed a global trade war on his return to office in January.
The S&P 500 on Monday was down nearly 1.0 per cent, its biggest drop in three weeks.
His moves have repeatedly roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies.
US-listed shares of Japanese automotive companies fell, with Toyota Motor down 4.1 per cent in early afternoon trading and Honda Motor off by 3.8 per cent.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier on Monday he expected to make several trade announcements in the next 48 hours, adding that his inbox was full of last-ditch offers from countries to clinch a tariff deal before a July 9 deadline.
Countries have scrambled to hammer out deals before the Wednesday deadline.
South Korea and Indonesia dispatched representatives to Washington, while Thailand submitted a new trade proposal offering zero tariffs on many US goods.
Bessent did not say which countries could get deals and what they might contain.
Trump has kept much of the world guessing on the outcome of months of talks with countries hoping to avoid the hefty tariff hikes he has threatened.
"We've had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
For its part, the European Union still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a "good exchange," a Commission spokesperson said.
It was not immediately clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off tariff hikes on the United States' largest trading partner.
Adding to the pressure, Trump threatened to impose a 17 per cent tariff on EU food and agriculture exports, it emerged last week.
The EU has been torn over whether to push for a quick and light trade deal or back its own economic clout in trying to negotiate a better outcome.
It had already dropped hopes for a comprehensive trade agreement before the July deadline.
"We want to reach a deal with the US We want to avoid tariffs," the spokesperson told reporters at a daily briefing.
"We want to achieve win-win outcomes, not lose-lose outcomes."
Without a preliminary agreement, broad US tariffs on most imports would rise from their current 10 per cent to the rates set out by Trump on April 2.
In the EU's case, that would be 20 per cent.
Von der Leyen also held talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Italy at the weekend, Germany said.
President Donald Trump says the US will impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea beginning August 1 as he unveiled the first two of what he has said will be a wave of letters to trading partners outlining the new levies they face.
Trump also announced the US will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30 per cent on South Africa and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Indonesia was hit with a 32 per cent tariff and Cambodia and Thailand 36 per cent.
Bosnia copped 30 per cent, while Bangladesh and Serbia got 35 per cent.
"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 per cent that we charge," Trump said in letters to the leaders of South Korea and Japan, which he posted on his Truth Social platform.
The rate for South Korea is the same that Trump initially announced on April 2, while the rate for Japan is one point higher than first announced.
Trump a week later capped all of the so-called reciprocal tariffs at 10 per cent until July 9 to allow for negotiations.
There was no immediate response from the Japanese or South Korean embassies on the announcement.
Only two agreements have so far been reached, with Britain and Vietnam.
US stocks fell in response, the latest market ruction since Trump unleashed a global trade war on his return to office in January.
The S&P 500 on Monday was down nearly 1.0 per cent, its biggest drop in three weeks.
His moves have repeatedly roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies.
US-listed shares of Japanese automotive companies fell, with Toyota Motor down 4.1 per cent in early afternoon trading and Honda Motor off by 3.8 per cent.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier on Monday he expected to make several trade announcements in the next 48 hours, adding that his inbox was full of last-ditch offers from countries to clinch a tariff deal before a July 9 deadline.
Countries have scrambled to hammer out deals before the Wednesday deadline.
South Korea and Indonesia dispatched representatives to Washington, while Thailand submitted a new trade proposal offering zero tariffs on many US goods.
Bessent did not say which countries could get deals and what they might contain.
Trump has kept much of the world guessing on the outcome of months of talks with countries hoping to avoid the hefty tariff hikes he has threatened.
"We've had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
For its part, the European Union still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a "good exchange," a Commission spokesperson said.
It was not immediately clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off tariff hikes on the United States' largest trading partner.
Adding to the pressure, Trump threatened to impose a 17 per cent tariff on EU food and agriculture exports, it emerged last week.
The EU has been torn over whether to push for a quick and light trade deal or back its own economic clout in trying to negotiate a better outcome.
It had already dropped hopes for a comprehensive trade agreement before the July deadline.
"We want to reach a deal with the US We want to avoid tariffs," the spokesperson told reporters at a daily briefing.
"We want to achieve win-win outcomes, not lose-lose outcomes."
Without a preliminary agreement, broad US tariffs on most imports would rise from their current 10 per cent to the rates set out by Trump on April 2.
In the EU's case, that would be 20 per cent.
Von der Leyen also held talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Italy at the weekend, Germany said.
President Donald Trump says the US will impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea beginning August 1 as he unveiled the first two of what he has said will be a wave of letters to trading partners outlining the new levies they face.
Trump also announced the US will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30 per cent on South Africa and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Indonesia was hit with a 32 per cent tariff and Cambodia and Thailand 36 per cent.
Bosnia copped 30 per cent, while Bangladesh and Serbia got 35 per cent.
"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 per cent that we charge," Trump said in letters to the leaders of South Korea and Japan, which he posted on his Truth Social platform.
The rate for South Korea is the same that Trump initially announced on April 2, while the rate for Japan is one point higher than first announced.
Trump a week later capped all of the so-called reciprocal tariffs at 10 per cent until July 9 to allow for negotiations.
There was no immediate response from the Japanese or South Korean embassies on the announcement.
Only two agreements have so far been reached, with Britain and Vietnam.
US stocks fell in response, the latest market ruction since Trump unleashed a global trade war on his return to office in January.
The S&P 500 on Monday was down nearly 1.0 per cent, its biggest drop in three weeks.
His moves have repeatedly roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies.
US-listed shares of Japanese automotive companies fell, with Toyota Motor down 4.1 per cent in early afternoon trading and Honda Motor off by 3.8 per cent.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier on Monday he expected to make several trade announcements in the next 48 hours, adding that his inbox was full of last-ditch offers from countries to clinch a tariff deal before a July 9 deadline.
Countries have scrambled to hammer out deals before the Wednesday deadline.
South Korea and Indonesia dispatched representatives to Washington, while Thailand submitted a new trade proposal offering zero tariffs on many US goods.
Bessent did not say which countries could get deals and what they might contain.
Trump has kept much of the world guessing on the outcome of months of talks with countries hoping to avoid the hefty tariff hikes he has threatened.
"We've had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
For its part, the European Union still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a "good exchange," a Commission spokesperson said.
It was not immediately clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off tariff hikes on the United States' largest trading partner.
Adding to the pressure, Trump threatened to impose a 17 per cent tariff on EU food and agriculture exports, it emerged last week.
The EU has been torn over whether to push for a quick and light trade deal or back its own economic clout in trying to negotiate a better outcome.
It had already dropped hopes for a comprehensive trade agreement before the July deadline.
"We want to reach a deal with the US We want to avoid tariffs," the spokesperson told reporters at a daily briefing.
"We want to achieve win-win outcomes, not lose-lose outcomes."
Without a preliminary agreement, broad US tariffs on most imports would rise from their current 10 per cent to the rates set out by Trump on April 2.
In the EU's case, that would be 20 per cent.
Von der Leyen also held talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Italy at the weekend, Germany said.
President Donald Trump says the US will impose a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea beginning August 1 as he unveiled the first two of what he has said will be a wave of letters to trading partners outlining the new levies they face.
Trump also announced the US will impose 25 per cent tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30 per cent on South Africa and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar.
Meanwhile, Indonesia was hit with a 32 per cent tariff and Cambodia and Thailand 36 per cent.
Bosnia copped 30 per cent, while Bangladesh and Serbia got 35 per cent.
"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 per cent that we charge," Trump said in letters to the leaders of South Korea and Japan, which he posted on his Truth Social platform.
The rate for South Korea is the same that Trump initially announced on April 2, while the rate for Japan is one point higher than first announced.
Trump a week later capped all of the so-called reciprocal tariffs at 10 per cent until July 9 to allow for negotiations.
There was no immediate response from the Japanese or South Korean embassies on the announcement.
Only two agreements have so far been reached, with Britain and Vietnam.
US stocks fell in response, the latest market ruction since Trump unleashed a global trade war on his return to office in January.
The S&P 500 on Monday was down nearly 1.0 per cent, its biggest drop in three weeks.
His moves have repeatedly roiled financial markets and sent policymakers scrambling to protect their economies.
US-listed shares of Japanese automotive companies fell, with Toyota Motor down 4.1 per cent in early afternoon trading and Honda Motor off by 3.8 per cent.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier on Monday he expected to make several trade announcements in the next 48 hours, adding that his inbox was full of last-ditch offers from countries to clinch a tariff deal before a July 9 deadline.
Countries have scrambled to hammer out deals before the Wednesday deadline.
South Korea and Indonesia dispatched representatives to Washington, while Thailand submitted a new trade proposal offering zero tariffs on many US goods.
Bessent did not say which countries could get deals and what they might contain.
Trump has kept much of the world guessing on the outcome of months of talks with countries hoping to avoid the hefty tariff hikes he has threatened.
"We've had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals," Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.
For its part, the European Union still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a "good exchange," a Commission spokesperson said.
It was not immediately clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off tariff hikes on the United States' largest trading partner.
Adding to the pressure, Trump threatened to impose a 17 per cent tariff on EU food and agriculture exports, it emerged last week.
The EU has been torn over whether to push for a quick and light trade deal or back its own economic clout in trying to negotiate a better outcome.
It had already dropped hopes for a comprehensive trade agreement before the July deadline.
"We want to reach a deal with the US We want to avoid tariffs," the spokesperson told reporters at a daily briefing.
"We want to achieve win-win outcomes, not lose-lose outcomes."
Without a preliminary agreement, broad US tariffs on most imports would rise from their current 10 per cent to the rates set out by Trump on April 2.
In the EU's case, that would be 20 per cent.
Von der Leyen also held talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Italy at the weekend, Germany said.
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Wall St steadies, investors recover from tariff shock
Wall St steadies, investors recover from tariff shock

Perth Now

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Wall St steadies, investors recover from tariff shock

Wall Street's main indexes largely have held firm, as jitters over President Donald Trump's latest tariff offensive were offset by mounting hopes that fresh talks with US trading partners could avert a full-blown global tariff war. On Monday, Trump warned partners from Japan and South Korea to smaller players that steep new US tariffs would kick in from August 1 — though he left the door open to delays if countries come forward with fresh proposals. Japan's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, held a 40-minute phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on Tuesday, where the two sides agreed to "actively" continue negotiations. In early trading on Tuesday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 33.58 points, or 0.08 per cent, to 44,372.78, the S&P 500 gained 6.03 points, or 0.10 per cent, to 6,236.25 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 37.51 points, or 0.18 per cent, to 20,450.02. The sentiment has improved since a knee-jerk reaction on Monday, when all major indexes closed sharply lower following the tariff announcement. In S&P 500 sub-sectors, the energy index led the pack with a one per cent rise, while utilities dropped 1.3 per cent. In mega-cap stocks, shares of Tesla gained 1.5 per cent after the stock recorded its steepest single-day fall in nearly a month on Monday. "The market's taking comfort from the fact that the can has been kicked further down the road and the expectation remains that the bark is a lot worse than the bite," said Ben Laidler, head of equity strategy at Bradesco BBI. The swift market recovery is in stark contrast to the sharp selloff that followed "Liberation Day" tariff announcements three months ago — a rout that plunged the Nasdaq into bear territory and sent the Dow and S&P 500 into correction. Since then, Wall Street has rebounded, with the Nasdaq and S&P 500 both notching record highs last week, buoyed by a robust labour market that helped quiet recession worries. "We have not seen any dramatic economic consequences from big increase in tariffs," Laidler added. The US has so far reached trade agreements with only Britain and Vietnam. BofA Global Research and Goldman Sachs raised their year-end targets for the S&P 500 index, broadly driven by reduced policy uncertainty, resilient corporate earnings and potential interest rate cuts. Traders have now all but ruled out a July rate cut from the Federal Reserve, putting the odds of a September cut at around 63 per cent, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Minutes of the Fed's June rate-setting meeting are scheduled for release on Wednesday, which will offer investors more clarity on when the central bank might resume its policy easing cycle. Shares of solar stocks fell after Trump on Monday directed federal agencies to strengthen provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that repeal or modify tax credits for solar and wind energy projects. SunRun dropped 8.9 per cent, Enphase Energy lost 4.6 per cent and SolarEdge Technologies declined 4.2 per cent. Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.57-to-1 ratio on the NYSE, and by a 2.17-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq. The S&P 500 posted 15 new 52-week highs and three new lows, while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 47 new highs and 26 new lows.

Report lays bare suffering from UK Post Office scandal
Report lays bare suffering from UK Post Office scandal

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Report lays bare suffering from UK Post Office scandal

Thirteen people might have taken their own lives and others were bankrupted or became seriously ill as a result of Britain's Post Office scandal, a public inquiry has found, laying bare the toll of one of the country's worst miscarriages of justice. Inquiry chair Wyn Williams said on Tuesday he was satisfied that executives at the state-owned Post Office knew, or should have known, that its computer system was capable of error, despite publicly maintaining the fiction it was accurate. From 2000 to 2013 the Post Office pursued branch managers for losses that appeared in their accounts but were in fact caused by flaws in an IT system supplied by Japanese computer company Fujitsu. About 1000 people were convicted. Public outrage about the scandal mounted last year after a TV dramatisation of the case, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which led to legislation to exonerate those convicted. In the 162-page first volume of his report, Williams called for urgent action to ensure "full and fair" compensation for victims. His recommendations included free legal advice and compensation for family members. He said it was impossible to ascertain exactly how many people had been impacted, but said there were about 10,000 eligible claimants across four compensation schemes. Detailing 17 first-hand accounts, Williams said suffering ranged from those held liable for small amounts of money to those who were wrongly imprisoned, fell seriously ill or were driven to despair and suicide. Postmaster Martin Griffiths was given notice of termination of his contract in 2013 after shortfalls in his accounts. He then deliberately walked in front of a bus, suffering multiple injuries which caused his death at the age of 59. Following a request from the inquiry, the Post Office named six former postmasters whose families said they had taken their own lives. A further seven people who were not postmasters had also taken their own lives as a consequence of false shortfalls, according to their families, the report says. Others suffered mental and physical health problems, bankruptcy and relationship breakdowns. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the publication of the report was an important milestone for sub-postmasters and their families. "I am committed to ensuring wronged sub-postmasters are given full, fair, and prompt redress," he said. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Thirteen people might have taken their own lives and others were bankrupted or became seriously ill as a result of Britain's Post Office scandal, a public inquiry has found, laying bare the toll of one of the country's worst miscarriages of justice. Inquiry chair Wyn Williams said on Tuesday he was satisfied that executives at the state-owned Post Office knew, or should have known, that its computer system was capable of error, despite publicly maintaining the fiction it was accurate. From 2000 to 2013 the Post Office pursued branch managers for losses that appeared in their accounts but were in fact caused by flaws in an IT system supplied by Japanese computer company Fujitsu. About 1000 people were convicted. Public outrage about the scandal mounted last year after a TV dramatisation of the case, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which led to legislation to exonerate those convicted. In the 162-page first volume of his report, Williams called for urgent action to ensure "full and fair" compensation for victims. His recommendations included free legal advice and compensation for family members. He said it was impossible to ascertain exactly how many people had been impacted, but said there were about 10,000 eligible claimants across four compensation schemes. Detailing 17 first-hand accounts, Williams said suffering ranged from those held liable for small amounts of money to those who were wrongly imprisoned, fell seriously ill or were driven to despair and suicide. Postmaster Martin Griffiths was given notice of termination of his contract in 2013 after shortfalls in his accounts. He then deliberately walked in front of a bus, suffering multiple injuries which caused his death at the age of 59. Following a request from the inquiry, the Post Office named six former postmasters whose families said they had taken their own lives. A further seven people who were not postmasters had also taken their own lives as a consequence of false shortfalls, according to their families, the report says. Others suffered mental and physical health problems, bankruptcy and relationship breakdowns. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the publication of the report was an important milestone for sub-postmasters and their families. "I am committed to ensuring wronged sub-postmasters are given full, fair, and prompt redress," he said. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Thirteen people might have taken their own lives and others were bankrupted or became seriously ill as a result of Britain's Post Office scandal, a public inquiry has found, laying bare the toll of one of the country's worst miscarriages of justice. Inquiry chair Wyn Williams said on Tuesday he was satisfied that executives at the state-owned Post Office knew, or should have known, that its computer system was capable of error, despite publicly maintaining the fiction it was accurate. From 2000 to 2013 the Post Office pursued branch managers for losses that appeared in their accounts but were in fact caused by flaws in an IT system supplied by Japanese computer company Fujitsu. About 1000 people were convicted. Public outrage about the scandal mounted last year after a TV dramatisation of the case, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which led to legislation to exonerate those convicted. In the 162-page first volume of his report, Williams called for urgent action to ensure "full and fair" compensation for victims. His recommendations included free legal advice and compensation for family members. He said it was impossible to ascertain exactly how many people had been impacted, but said there were about 10,000 eligible claimants across four compensation schemes. Detailing 17 first-hand accounts, Williams said suffering ranged from those held liable for small amounts of money to those who were wrongly imprisoned, fell seriously ill or were driven to despair and suicide. Postmaster Martin Griffiths was given notice of termination of his contract in 2013 after shortfalls in his accounts. He then deliberately walked in front of a bus, suffering multiple injuries which caused his death at the age of 59. Following a request from the inquiry, the Post Office named six former postmasters whose families said they had taken their own lives. A further seven people who were not postmasters had also taken their own lives as a consequence of false shortfalls, according to their families, the report says. Others suffered mental and physical health problems, bankruptcy and relationship breakdowns. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the publication of the report was an important milestone for sub-postmasters and their families. "I am committed to ensuring wronged sub-postmasters are given full, fair, and prompt redress," he said. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Thirteen people might have taken their own lives and others were bankrupted or became seriously ill as a result of Britain's Post Office scandal, a public inquiry has found, laying bare the toll of one of the country's worst miscarriages of justice. Inquiry chair Wyn Williams said on Tuesday he was satisfied that executives at the state-owned Post Office knew, or should have known, that its computer system was capable of error, despite publicly maintaining the fiction it was accurate. From 2000 to 2013 the Post Office pursued branch managers for losses that appeared in their accounts but were in fact caused by flaws in an IT system supplied by Japanese computer company Fujitsu. About 1000 people were convicted. Public outrage about the scandal mounted last year after a TV dramatisation of the case, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, which led to legislation to exonerate those convicted. In the 162-page first volume of his report, Williams called for urgent action to ensure "full and fair" compensation for victims. His recommendations included free legal advice and compensation for family members. He said it was impossible to ascertain exactly how many people had been impacted, but said there were about 10,000 eligible claimants across four compensation schemes. Detailing 17 first-hand accounts, Williams said suffering ranged from those held liable for small amounts of money to those who were wrongly imprisoned, fell seriously ill or were driven to despair and suicide. Postmaster Martin Griffiths was given notice of termination of his contract in 2013 after shortfalls in his accounts. He then deliberately walked in front of a bus, suffering multiple injuries which caused his death at the age of 59. Following a request from the inquiry, the Post Office named six former postmasters whose families said they had taken their own lives. 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Japan and S.Korea seek to soften Trump tariff blow
Japan and S.Korea seek to soften Trump tariff blow

The Advertiser

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  • The Advertiser

Japan and S.Korea seek to soften Trump tariff blow

Powerhouse Asian economies Japan and South Korea will try to negotiate with the US to soften the impact of sharply higher tariffs that President Donald Trump now plans to impose from the start of August. Trump ramped up his trade war again on Monday, telling 14 nations that they would face tariffs ranging from 25 per cent for countries including Japan and South Korea, to 40 per cent for Laos and Myanmar. However, with the start date pushed back to August 1, those countries are focusing on the new three-week window to press for an easier ride. Japan wanted concessions for its large automobile industry, top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Tuesday. Akazawa said he held a 40-minute phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in which the two agreed to actively continue negotiations. However, he said he would not sacrifice Japan's agriculture sector - a powerful political lobby domestically - for the sake of an early deal. South Korea said it planned to intensify trade talks over the coming weeks "to reach a mutually beneficial result". Asked if the latest deadline was firm, Trump replied on Monday: "I would say firm but not 100 per cent firm. "If they call up and they say we'd like to do something a different way, we're going to be open to that." Market reaction was muted as investors assessed the latest twist in the long-running trade saga. The European Union, which is the largest bilateral trade partner of the US, aimed to strike a deal before August 1 with negotiations focused on "rebalancing" and concessions for certain key export industries, a European source familiar with the negotiations said. Some EU sources had said late on Monday that the bloc was close to an agreement with the Trump administration. This could involve limited concessions to US baseline tariffs of 10 per cent for aircraft and parts, some medical equipment and spirits. Only two deals have been struck so far, with Britain and Vietnam. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors are watching to see if it unravels or leads to a lasting detente. Trump's trade tactics were making it hard for nations and businesses to plan with any certainty, the executive director of the United Nations trade agency said on Tuesday. "This move actually extends the period of uncertainty, undermining long-term investment and business contracts, and creating further uncertainty and instability," Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, told reporters in Geneva. Trump said the United States would impose tariffs of 25 per cent on goods from Tunisia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, with levies of 30 per cent on South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, climbing to 32 per cent on Indonesia, 35 per cent on Serbia and Bangladesh, 36 per cent on Cambodia and Thailand and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar. A Bangladesh team in Washington was scheduled to have further trade talks on Wednesday, an official said. The US is the main export market for Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of its export earnings and employs four million people. "This is absolutely shocking news for us," Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told Reuters on Tuesday. "We were really hoping the tariffs would be somewhere between 10-20 per cent. This will hurt our industry badly." Powerhouse Asian economies Japan and South Korea will try to negotiate with the US to soften the impact of sharply higher tariffs that President Donald Trump now plans to impose from the start of August. Trump ramped up his trade war again on Monday, telling 14 nations that they would face tariffs ranging from 25 per cent for countries including Japan and South Korea, to 40 per cent for Laos and Myanmar. However, with the start date pushed back to August 1, those countries are focusing on the new three-week window to press for an easier ride. Japan wanted concessions for its large automobile industry, top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Tuesday. Akazawa said he held a 40-minute phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in which the two agreed to actively continue negotiations. However, he said he would not sacrifice Japan's agriculture sector - a powerful political lobby domestically - for the sake of an early deal. South Korea said it planned to intensify trade talks over the coming weeks "to reach a mutually beneficial result". Asked if the latest deadline was firm, Trump replied on Monday: "I would say firm but not 100 per cent firm. "If they call up and they say we'd like to do something a different way, we're going to be open to that." Market reaction was muted as investors assessed the latest twist in the long-running trade saga. The European Union, which is the largest bilateral trade partner of the US, aimed to strike a deal before August 1 with negotiations focused on "rebalancing" and concessions for certain key export industries, a European source familiar with the negotiations said. Some EU sources had said late on Monday that the bloc was close to an agreement with the Trump administration. This could involve limited concessions to US baseline tariffs of 10 per cent for aircraft and parts, some medical equipment and spirits. Only two deals have been struck so far, with Britain and Vietnam. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors are watching to see if it unravels or leads to a lasting detente. Trump's trade tactics were making it hard for nations and businesses to plan with any certainty, the executive director of the United Nations trade agency said on Tuesday. "This move actually extends the period of uncertainty, undermining long-term investment and business contracts, and creating further uncertainty and instability," Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, told reporters in Geneva. Trump said the United States would impose tariffs of 25 per cent on goods from Tunisia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, with levies of 30 per cent on South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, climbing to 32 per cent on Indonesia, 35 per cent on Serbia and Bangladesh, 36 per cent on Cambodia and Thailand and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar. A Bangladesh team in Washington was scheduled to have further trade talks on Wednesday, an official said. The US is the main export market for Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of its export earnings and employs four million people. "This is absolutely shocking news for us," Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told Reuters on Tuesday. "We were really hoping the tariffs would be somewhere between 10-20 per cent. This will hurt our industry badly." Powerhouse Asian economies Japan and South Korea will try to negotiate with the US to soften the impact of sharply higher tariffs that President Donald Trump now plans to impose from the start of August. Trump ramped up his trade war again on Monday, telling 14 nations that they would face tariffs ranging from 25 per cent for countries including Japan and South Korea, to 40 per cent for Laos and Myanmar. However, with the start date pushed back to August 1, those countries are focusing on the new three-week window to press for an easier ride. Japan wanted concessions for its large automobile industry, top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Tuesday. Akazawa said he held a 40-minute phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in which the two agreed to actively continue negotiations. However, he said he would not sacrifice Japan's agriculture sector - a powerful political lobby domestically - for the sake of an early deal. South Korea said it planned to intensify trade talks over the coming weeks "to reach a mutually beneficial result". Asked if the latest deadline was firm, Trump replied on Monday: "I would say firm but not 100 per cent firm. "If they call up and they say we'd like to do something a different way, we're going to be open to that." Market reaction was muted as investors assessed the latest twist in the long-running trade saga. The European Union, which is the largest bilateral trade partner of the US, aimed to strike a deal before August 1 with negotiations focused on "rebalancing" and concessions for certain key export industries, a European source familiar with the negotiations said. Some EU sources had said late on Monday that the bloc was close to an agreement with the Trump administration. This could involve limited concessions to US baseline tariffs of 10 per cent for aircraft and parts, some medical equipment and spirits. Only two deals have been struck so far, with Britain and Vietnam. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors are watching to see if it unravels or leads to a lasting detente. Trump's trade tactics were making it hard for nations and businesses to plan with any certainty, the executive director of the United Nations trade agency said on Tuesday. "This move actually extends the period of uncertainty, undermining long-term investment and business contracts, and creating further uncertainty and instability," Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, told reporters in Geneva. Trump said the United States would impose tariffs of 25 per cent on goods from Tunisia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, with levies of 30 per cent on South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, climbing to 32 per cent on Indonesia, 35 per cent on Serbia and Bangladesh, 36 per cent on Cambodia and Thailand and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar. A Bangladesh team in Washington was scheduled to have further trade talks on Wednesday, an official said. The US is the main export market for Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of its export earnings and employs four million people. "This is absolutely shocking news for us," Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told Reuters on Tuesday. "We were really hoping the tariffs would be somewhere between 10-20 per cent. This will hurt our industry badly." Powerhouse Asian economies Japan and South Korea will try to negotiate with the US to soften the impact of sharply higher tariffs that President Donald Trump now plans to impose from the start of August. Trump ramped up his trade war again on Monday, telling 14 nations that they would face tariffs ranging from 25 per cent for countries including Japan and South Korea, to 40 per cent for Laos and Myanmar. However, with the start date pushed back to August 1, those countries are focusing on the new three-week window to press for an easier ride. Japan wanted concessions for its large automobile industry, top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Tuesday. Akazawa said he held a 40-minute phone call with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in which the two agreed to actively continue negotiations. However, he said he would not sacrifice Japan's agriculture sector - a powerful political lobby domestically - for the sake of an early deal. South Korea said it planned to intensify trade talks over the coming weeks "to reach a mutually beneficial result". Asked if the latest deadline was firm, Trump replied on Monday: "I would say firm but not 100 per cent firm. "If they call up and they say we'd like to do something a different way, we're going to be open to that." Market reaction was muted as investors assessed the latest twist in the long-running trade saga. The European Union, which is the largest bilateral trade partner of the US, aimed to strike a deal before August 1 with negotiations focused on "rebalancing" and concessions for certain key export industries, a European source familiar with the negotiations said. Some EU sources had said late on Monday that the bloc was close to an agreement with the Trump administration. This could involve limited concessions to US baseline tariffs of 10 per cent for aircraft and parts, some medical equipment and spirits. Only two deals have been struck so far, with Britain and Vietnam. Washington and Beijing agreed to a trade framework in June, but with many details still unclear, traders and investors are watching to see if it unravels or leads to a lasting detente. Trump's trade tactics were making it hard for nations and businesses to plan with any certainty, the executive director of the United Nations trade agency said on Tuesday. "This move actually extends the period of uncertainty, undermining long-term investment and business contracts, and creating further uncertainty and instability," Pamela Coke-Hamilton, executive director of the International Trade Centre, told reporters in Geneva. Trump said the United States would impose tariffs of 25 per cent on goods from Tunisia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, with levies of 30 per cent on South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, climbing to 32 per cent on Indonesia, 35 per cent on Serbia and Bangladesh, 36 per cent on Cambodia and Thailand and 40 per cent on Laos and Myanmar. A Bangladesh team in Washington was scheduled to have further trade talks on Wednesday, an official said. The US is the main export market for Bangladesh's ready-made garments industry, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of its export earnings and employs four million people. "This is absolutely shocking news for us," Mahmud Hasan Khan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, told Reuters on Tuesday. "We were really hoping the tariffs would be somewhere between 10-20 per cent. This will hurt our industry badly."

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