Trump orders national park entry fees hike for foreign tourists
'For this anniversary, I've just signed an executive order to raise entrance fees for foreign tourists while keeping prices low for Americans,' Trump told a cheering crowd at a rally in Iowa.
'The national parks will be about America First,' the Republican leader said, after issuing an executive order.
In it, Trump also instructed the interior and state departments to 'encourage international tourism to America's national parks.'
The order outlined that revenue raised was to be used to improve the infrastructure and 'enhance enjoyment' of the country's vast national park system.
It is a rare move by the climate sceptic president to promote the environment and green spaces.
In the executive order, Trump also revoked a 2017 directive by former president Barack Obama on 'promoting diversity and inclusion in our national parks,' in his latest attack on DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives.
Some conservation groups have however voiced concerns about hundreds of National Park Service permanent staff members being laid off since Trump took office in January, ahead of peak tourist season in summer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
36 minutes ago
- The Star
Kremlin says it pays close attention to Trump statements after he voices disappointment with Putin call
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin are seen during the G20 leaders summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina November 30, 2018. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci/File Photo
The Sun
40 minutes ago
- The Sun
South Korea may ask US to extend tariff freeze
SEOUL: South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo said yesterday that he might request an extension of the freeze on US tariffs that is set to expire within days when he heads to Washington for talks with US officials. Yeo, who became South Korea's new trade envoy last month, is due to fly to the US yesterday and plans to hold talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and other senior officials today, just ahead of the July 9 deadline when US tariffs could rise sharply. US President Donald Trump said his administration would start sending letters yesterday to countries specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports into the US. Yeo said the substance of negotiations mattered more than the deadline, noting he would ask the US to take time and accelerate talks to reach a 'win-win' deal. South Korea has sought exemptions from Trump's punishing tariffs on imports of automobiles and steel products, as well as a 25% 'reciprocal' levy on the Asian ally currently paused for negotiations. The government of Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is currently subject to a blanket 10% tariff, agreed with the US in their opening round of trade talks in late April to craft a trade deal reducing tariffs by the July deadline. However, negotiations appear to have made little progress and were hampered by political uncertainty over the last few months following South Korea's martial law crisis with President Lee Jae Myung elected as the new leader on June 3. President Lee said on Thursday that the ongoing talks between Seoul and its ally Washington had 'not been easy', adding the two sides were not clear on what they want. Washington is demanding better access to the agriculture and car sectors, and improved market access and non-discriminatory treatment in the digital sector, Minister Yeo told a parliamentary hearing yesterday. 'The government will respond flexibly by taking into account the level of the US demands and domestic political security sensitivities,' Yeo said. Yeo also said that the US was asking for larger investments by South Korean companies in the country and increased South Korean purchases of US energy supplies. Although South Korea has shown interest in a US$44 billion (RM185 billion) LNG project in Alaska, Yeo said the feasibility of the project was still not clear and the US would only provide more information later in the year. South Korea's efforts to reach a trade deal come as Trump said Vietnam and the US had agreed on a 20% tariff rate on imports from Vietnam, down from an initial 46% rate he threatened. Yeo said South Korean companies that use the Southeast Asian country as a manufacturing base would be affected by those tariffs. – Reuters
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
FX steady, stocks retreat as caution lingers ahead of Trump's tariff deadline
NEW YORK: Emerging market currencies were mixed on Friday, while stocks headed lower as markets remained cautious about the progress of trade deals with the US ahead of President Donald Trump's tariff deadline. Trump said that his administration will begin sending letters to 10 to 12 countries on Friday, informing them of tariff rates their exports would face after the July 9 deadline expires. Only the UK, Vietnam and China have signed trade agreements with the US as yet, with others scrambling to clinch one before the sweeping duties come into effect and threaten economic growth. "Many observers assume that a tariff of at least 10 per cent will ultimately be agreed for most trading partners... even if the final rate in the US were to be significantly higher than last year, markets seem to assume that this will not trigger a major economic crisis," said analysts at Commerzbank. "The markets seem to have abandoned the worst-case scenario and are assuming that the economy will ultimately weather Trump's tariff policy." Moreover, some concerns over the fiscal health of the US remained as the Congress passed Trump's tax-cut and spending package on Thursday. It is estimated to add over US$3 trillion to the US fiscal debt. The dollar index was flat on the day, still trading around multi-year lows. Trading was expected to be thin as markets in the US were closed for the 4th of July holiday. MSCI's index tracking global emerging market currencies was 0.2 per cent lower, but was looking at its fifth weekly gain. Emerging European currencies were subdued against the euro, but the Polish zloty fell 0.2 per cent. A report said that central banker Ludwik Kotecki sees room for two 25 basis point interest rate cuts this year, after the bank delivered a surprise trim of the same magnitude earlier this week. The Czech crown was slightly higher, after a flash estimate put annual inflation in June in-line with expectations and retail sales continued to show solid growth. Turkey's lira was little changed against the dollar, and so were its stocks. The stocks index was set for its biggest weekly gain since March. South Africa's rand edged 0.3 per cent lower, while its stocks were flat. Bourses in emerging European economies were also lower, with ones in Poland and Hungary down 1.2 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively. Poland's blue chip index was set for a fourth week of gains. MSCI's gauge of global EM stocks was down 0.6 per cent, but was set to log marginal gains this week. Investors took on more riskier assets this week in a bid to diversify away from US amid mounting fiscal worries, and after strong jobs data on Thursday bolstered risk appetite globally.
