Trump's sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries take effect; Myanmar and Laos among the worst hit at 40%

The Star

3 days ago

People walk past fresh produce at a street market in Yangon on August 4, 2025. Myanmar was hit with a 40% tariff on imports by the United States. - Photo: Sai Aung MAIN / AFP
WASHINGTON (dpa): US President Donald Trump's tariffs on imports from around 70 countries and the European Union went into force on Thursday, including a whopping 50% on Brazilian imports, 39% on Switzerland and 35% on Canada.
In a Truth Social post shortly before they went into effect, Trump wrote: "BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, LARGELY FROM COUNTRIES THAT HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE UNITED STATES FOR MANY YEARS, LAUGHING ALL THE WAY, WILL START FLOWING INTO THE USA."
Trump has defended his aggressive trade stance by citing persistent deficits, which he claims pose a national security threat.
Framing the issue as an emergency, he argues the tariffs will shield US businesses and revive domestic manufacturing. The measures are now being challenged in US courts.
Since the start of his second term, Trump has targeted virtually every country with the threat of higher duties, including close allies.
The tariffs have often been revised, delayed or scrapped altogether, and used as leverage to push countries into striking bilateral deals with Washington.
Also among the slew of countries worst hit are South Africa (30%), Laos and Myanmar (40%), and war-ravaged Syria (41%).
The European Union's 27 member states must now pay a 15% levy, down from the 30% Trump initially threatened following a last-minute deal with the European Commission.
Critics of the deal said the commission had settled for a compromise that, while less severe than initially threatened, still clearly favours the US.
In addition to the 15%, the EU promised Trump that it would buy US energy worth $750 billion by the end of his term.
According to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, US liquefied natural gas, oil, and nuclear fuels will fill the gaps left by the complete phase-out of Russian gas and oil.
The commission also announced that $600 billion in European investment is expected to flow into the US, citing private-sector interest. But officials clarified these are not government commitments, and no company names or figures were disclosed.
Other countries, including Britain and Japan, recently reached separate trade agreements with the US to avoid steeper penalties.
Attention now turns to Washington and Beijing, as the world's two largest economies near the expiration of their 90-day tariff truce next Tuesday. Both sides have threatened to slap import duties of over 100% on each other if talks collapse.
India, already hit with a 25% levy on Thursday, is bracing for that rate to double by month's end.