Reaching 15%.. Trump threatens to impose tariffs on more than 150 countries

SadaNews - U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he will send messages to over 150 countries to inform them that customs tariff rates could reach 10% or 15% as part of his ongoing trade agenda.

Trump added to reporters on Wednesday at the White House: "We will have more than 150 countries to whom we will send a payment notice, and this notice will include what the tariff rate will be."

He continued: "It will be unified for everyone, for that group," clarifying that the trading partners receiving these messages are "not major countries and do not have much business activity."

In an interview later broadcast on Wednesday on "Real America’s Voice", Trump said that the rate would be "likely 10 or 15%, we have not decided yet."

A barrage of demands for many countries

In recent days, Trump has unleashed a barrage of tariff demands, informing other countries of new duties that will come into effect on August 1, unless they can negotiate better terms with the U.S.

The messages extended the original deadline, which was set for July 9, by an additional three weeks, prompting a frantic rush among trading partners seeking to avoid higher tariffs.

Alicia Garcia-Herrero, Chief Economist for Asia-Pacific at Natixis Bank, stated: "For most countries in the world, and Asia facing some of the highest tariff rates, the announcement of the rate can be seen as good news, as it provides some certainty for smaller countries that received a lower percentage than expected."

She added that the rate also indicates that "Trump realizes that very high tariffs create disruption."

Promoting the messages as "deals"

Although Trump and his advisors initially expressed hope for reaching several agreements, the president has begun to promote the tariff messages themselves as "deals", suggesting a reluctance to engage in reciprocal negotiations. However, he left the door open for countries to make agreements that could lead to a reduction of those rates.

The rates imposed so far are quite similar to those that Trump threatened in April, before he quickly suspended their implementation due to market volatility.

However, the recent messages have introduced further ambiguity to financial markets, surprising partners such as the European Union, which had hoped to reach preliminary agreements with the United States.

In the same interview, Trump stated: "We may reach a deal with Europe, you know, I don't care much about that," hinting that he considers the message he sent to the European Union as a deal.

When asked what he thinks will happen with Canada, which faces a 35% customs tariff on some goods in August, the president replied: "It’s too early to say."