Trump tariffs: US trade partners weigh negotiation options – DW – 07/08/2025
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has responded to a letter from US President Donald Trump threatening Tokyo with higher import duties unless a new trade agreement is reached.
Ishiba said on Tuesday that he will continue tariff negotiations with the US to work out a deal that works for both partners.
In April, Trump announced a 90-day pause, until July 9, on tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% on dozens of countries, including most major trading partners.
But as the new deadline approached, Trump said he would introduce higher tariffs on August 1 on trading partners who do not negotiate new deals, suggesting that the deadline was pushed once again.
Trump had warned that letters were being sent out on Monday, alerting other nations to the latest plans in his trade war.
He then added that the US would impose a 25% tariff on imports from two of its closest allies, Japan and South Korea starting on August 1, apparently unveiling the first two trading partners to receive a "letter."
"If, for any reason, you decide to raise your tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on to the 25% that we charge," Trump told Japan and South Korea in letters released on his Truth Social platform.
These tariffs will not be combined with the previously announced sectoral tariffs, such as the ones on automobiles and steel and aluminum.
Asian markets seemed to have taken the announcement in their stride but Wall Street was affected, with the S&P 500 Index taking a dip.
"While the news is disappointing, it does not mean the game is over," former US trade negotiator Wendy Cutler, the vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute told Reuters news agency.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had earlier said the August target is "not a new deadline" for negotiations.
Ishiba said his earlier talks with Trump had helped avoid an even higher tariff rate of around 30-35%.
He said he will seek an agreement that benefits both nations, "while protecting Japan's national interest."
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Trump said the US will impose tariffs of 25% on exports from Tunisia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan, with 30% on South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He announced even higher tariffs of 32% on Indonesia, 35% on Serbia and Bangladesh, 36% on Cambodia and Thailand and 40% on Laos and Myanmar.
South Africa was also one of the recipients of Trump's letter and was imposed with a 30% reciprocal tariff. President Cyril Ramaphosa said on X that "it is not an accurate representation of available trade data."
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