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Asharq Al-Awsat
4 hours ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Announces 30% Tariffs Against EU, Mexico to begin August 1
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he's levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico. Trump announced the tariffs on two of the United States' biggest trade partners in letters posted to his social media account. In his letter to Mexico's leader, Trump acknowledged that the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a 'Narco-Trafficking Playground.' 'Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,' Trump added, The AP news reported. Trump in his letter to the European Union said that the US trade deficit was a national security threat. 'We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,' Trump wrote in the letter to the EU. 'Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.' Trump is in the midst of an announcement blitz of new tariffs with allies and foes alike, a bedrock of his 2024 campaign that he said would set the foundation for reviving a US economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades. With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is effectively blowing up the rules governing world trade. For decades, the United States and most other countries abided by tariff rates set through a series of complex negotiations known as the Uruguay round. Countries could set their own tariffs – but under the 'most favored nation'' approach, they couldn't charge one country more than they charged another. With Saturday's letters, Trump has now issued tariff conditions on 24 countries and the 27-member European Union. The European Union's chief trade negotiator said earlier this week that a trade deal to avert higher tariffs on European goods imported to the US could be reached 'even in the coming days.' Maroš Šefčovič told EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France on Wednesday that the EU had been spared the increased tariffs contained in the letters Trump sent on Monday, and that an extension of talks would provide 'additional space to reach a satisfactory conclusion.' The bloc collectively sells more to the US than any other country. US goods imports from the EU topped $553 billion in 2022, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. Trump on April 2 proposed a 20% tariff for EU goods and then threatened to raise that to 50% after negotiations did not move as fast as he would have liked. Sefcovic did not mention any tariff figures. The higher tariffs as well as any EU retaliation had been suspended as the two sides negotiate. However the base rate of 10% for most trade partners as well as higher rates of 25% on autos and 50% on steel and aluminum had gone into effect. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a former Congressional Budget Office director and president of the center-right American Action Forum, said the letters were evidence that serious trade talks were not taking place over the past three months. He stressed that nations were instead talking amongst themselves about how to minimize their own exposure to the US economy and Trump. 'They're spending time talking to each other about what the future is going to look like, and we're left out,' Holtz-Eakin said. He added that Trump was using the letters to demand attention, but, 'In the end, these are letters to other countries about taxes he's going to levy on his citizens.'
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
US envoy Witkoff ‘hopeful' on Gaza talks, set to huddle with Qataris
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that he was 'hopeful' on Gaza ceasefire negotiations.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
'Inexcusable' failures led to Trump assassination attempt: Senate report
WASHINGTON: A congressional inquiry into the attempt to assassinate US President Donald Trump at a campaign rally a year ago on Sunday lamented 'inexcusable' failures in the Secret Service's operations and response, and called for more serious disciplinary action. On July 13, 2024, a gunman shot the then-Republican presidential candidate during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, grazing his ear. One bystander was killed and two other people in addition to Trump were wounded before a government sniper killed the gunman, 20-year-old Thomas Crooks. 'What happened was inexcusable and the consequences imposed for the failures so far do not reflect the severity of the situation,' said the report released by the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The dramatic incident energized Trump's bid to return to the White House, with his campaign using a photo of him bloodied and pumping his fist as he was hurried offstage to woo voters. The report did not shed new light on the gunman's motive, which still remains a mystery, but accused the Secret Service of 'a cascade of preventable failures that nearly cost President Trump his life.' 'The United States Secret Service failed to act on credible intelligence, failed to coordinate with local law enforcement,' said the committee's Republican chairman Rand Paul. 'Despite those failures, no one has been fired,' he added. 'It was a complete breakdown of security at every level-fueled by bureaucratic indifference, a lack of clear protocols, and a shocking refusal to act on direct threats. 'We must hold individuals accountable and ensure reforms are fully implemented so this never happens again.' Staff disciplined The Secret Service cited communication, technical and human errors and said reforms were underway, including on coordination between different law enforcement bodies and establishment of a division dedicated to aerial surveillance. Six unidentified staff have been disciplined, according to the agency. The punishments range from 10 to 42 days' suspension without pay, and all six were put into restricted or non-operational positions. Reflecting on the assassination attempt earlier this week, Trump said 'mistakes were made' but that he was satisfied with the investigation. In an interview with his daughter-in-law on Fox News' 'My View with Lara Trump,' Trump said the sniper 'was able to get him from a long distance with one shot. If he didn't do that, you would have had an even worse situation.' 'It was unforgettable,' Trump said of the events. 'I didn't know exactly what was going on. I got whacked. There's no question about that. And fortunately, I got down quickly. People were screaming.'
