Trump signs order imposing new tariffs on a number of trading partners
The order was issued shortly after 7pm on Thursday. It came after a flurry of tariff-related activity in the last several days, as the White House announced agreements with various nations and blocs ahead of the president's self-imposed Friday deadline.
The tariffs are being implemented at a later date in order for the rates schedule to be harmonised, according to a senior administration official who spoke to reporters on a call on the condition of anonymity.
After initially threatening the African nation of Lesotho with a 50% tariff, the country's goods will now be taxed at 15%. Taiwan will have tariffs set at 20%, Pakistan at 19% and Israel, Iceland, Norway, Fiji, Ghana, Guyana and Ecuador among the countries with imported goods taxed at 15%. Switzerland would be tariffed at 39%.
Mr Trump had announced a 50% tariff on goods from Brazil, but the order was only 10% as the other 40% were part of a separate measure approved on Wednesday.
The order capped off a hectic Thursday as nations sought to continue negotiating with Mr Trump.
It set the rates for 68 countries and the 27-member European Union, with a baseline 10% rate to be charged on countries not listed in the order.
The senior administration official said the rates were based on trade imbalance with the US and regional economic profiles.
On Thursday morning, Mr Trump engaged in a phone conversation with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum on trade. As a result of the conversation, the US president said he would enter into a 90-day negotiating period with Mexico, one of the nation's largest trading partners.
The current 25% tariff rates are staying in place, down from the 30% he had threatened earlier.
'We avoided the tariff increase announced for tomorrow and we got 90 days to build a long-term agreement through dialogue,' Ms Sheinbaum wrote on X after a call with Mr Trump that he referred to as 'very successful' in terms of the leaders getting to know each other better.
The unknowns created a sense of drama that has defined Mr Trump's rollout of tariffs over several months. However, the one consistency is his desire to levy the import taxes that most economists say will ultimately be borne to some degree by US consumers and businesses.
'We have made a few deals today that are excellent deals for the country,' Mr Trump told reporters on Thursday afternoon, without detailing the terms of those agreements or the nations involved.
The senior administration official declined to reveal the nations that have new deals during the call with reporters.
Mr Trump said that Canadian prime minister Mark Carney had called ahead of 35% tariffs being imposed on many of his nation's goods, but 'we haven't spoken to Canada today'.
Mr Trump separately on Thursday amended a previous order to raise the fentanyl-related tariff on Canada from 25% to 35%.
My statement on Canada-U.S. trade: pic.twitter.com/0PSG9kKtiO
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) August 1, 2025
Mr Trump had imposed the Friday deadline after his previous 'Liberation Day' tariffs in April resulted in a stock market panic.
His unusually high tariff rates, unveiled in April, led to recession fears — prompting Mr Trump to impose a 90-day negotiating period.
When he was unable to create enough trade deals with other countries, he extended the timeline and sent out letters to world leaders that simply listed rates, prompting a slew of hasty deals.
Mr Trump reached a deal with South Korea on Wednesday, and earlier with the European Union, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.
His commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, said on Fox News Channel's Hannity that there were agreements with Cambodia and Thailand after they had agreed to a ceasefire to their border conflict.
Going into Thursday, wealthy Switzerland and Norway were still uncertain about their tariff rates. EU officials were waiting to complete a crucial document outlining how the framework to tax imported cars and other goods from the 27-member state bloc would operate.
Mr Trump had announced a deal on Sunday while he was in Scotland.
Mr Trump said as part of the agreement with Mexico that goods imported into the US would continue to face a 25% tariff that he has ostensibly linked to fentanyl trafficking.
He said cars would face a 25% tariff, while copper, aluminium and steel would be taxed at 50% during the negotiating period.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Powys County Times
30 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Europe stresses Ukraine support ahead of Trump-Putin summit
The path to peace in Ukraine 'cannot be decided without Ukraine', European leaders have said, as US President Donald Trump prepares to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin for talks on Friday. In a joint statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission, said that the current line of contact between Russia and Ukraine could only be a 'starting point of negotiations'. They said: 'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together with Ukraine – this is fundamental. It is important that joint approaches and a shared vision work toward genuine peace. A consolidated position. Ceasefire. End of occupation. End of war. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 9, 2025 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.' The statement comes a day after Mr Trump announced that he would meet Mr Putin in Alaska on Friday, as he seeks an end to a conflict he had promised he could finish on his first day in office. The US president had earlier suggested that any peace deal was likely to involve 'some swapping of territories', with reports suggesting this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region. But President Volodymyr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, something that is forbidden by Ukraine's constitution. He said Mr Putin wanted to 'exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land – he wants to get territorial spoils for the second time'. Mr Zelensky added: 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine. Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third.' He also said that any peace agreement that excluded Ukraine would be a decision 'against peace'. In their statement, the European leaders said they welcomed Mr Trump's 'work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war of aggression and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine'. Adding that they were 'ready to support this work diplomatically' and through military and financial support for Kyiv, they reiterated the need for 'robust and credible security guarantees' for Ukraine and their own 'unwavering support' for the country. The statement also comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted a meeting of top Ukrainian officials and European national security advisers alongside US vice-president JD Vance on Saturday. The meeting took place at the Foreign Secretary's official country retreat, Chevening, in Kent, where Mr Vance is staying at the start of a UK holiday. After the meeting, Mr Lammy said: 'The UK's support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace.' It is understood that the meeting had been called at Washington's request, and included representatives from the US, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland as well as the UK. Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the country's national security and defence council, and the head of Mr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak. In a post on social media, Mr Yermak said the allies' positions were 'clear' that 'a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognising the occupation'. Ahead of the meeting at Chevening, Sir Keir discussed the talks in a call with Mr Zelensky on Saturday, and also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron.
South Wales Guardian
30 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Europe stresses Ukraine support ahead of Trump-Putin summit
In a joint statement, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, with the leaders of France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Finland and the European Commission, said that the current line of contact between Russia and Ukraine could only be a 'starting point of negotiations'. They said: 'Ukraine has the freedom of choice over its own destiny. Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. The path to peace for Ukraine must be determined together with Ukraine – this is fundamental. It is important that joint approaches and a shared vision work toward genuine peace. A consolidated position. Ceasefire. End of occupation. End of war. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 9, 2025 'We remain committed to the principle that international borders must not be changed by force.' The statement comes a day after Mr Trump announced that he would meet Mr Putin in Alaska on Friday, as he seeks an end to a conflict he had promised he could finish on his first day in office. The US president had earlier suggested that any peace deal was likely to involve 'some swapping of territories', with reports suggesting this could involve Ukraine giving up its Donetsk region. But President Volodymyr Zelensky has already rejected any proposal that would compromise Ukraine's territorial integrity, something that is forbidden by Ukraine's constitution. He said Mr Putin wanted to 'exchange a pause in the war, in the killing, for the legalisation of the occupation of our land – he wants to get territorial spoils for the second time'. Mr Zelensky added: 'We will not allow this second attempt to partition Ukraine. Knowing Russia, where there is a second, there will be a third.' He also said that any peace agreement that excluded Ukraine would be a decision 'against peace'. In their statement, the European leaders said they welcomed Mr Trump's 'work to stop the killing in Ukraine, end the Russian Federation's war of aggression and achieve just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine'. Adding that they were 'ready to support this work diplomatically' and through military and financial support for Kyiv, they reiterated the need for 'robust and credible security guarantees' for Ukraine and their own 'unwavering support' for the country. The statement also comes after Foreign Secretary David Lammy hosted a meeting of top Ukrainian officials and European national security advisers alongside US vice-president JD Vance on Saturday. The meeting took place at the Foreign Secretary's official country retreat, Chevening, in Kent, where Mr Vance is staying at the start of a UK holiday. After the meeting, Mr Lammy said: 'The UK's support for Ukraine remains ironclad as we continue working towards a just and lasting peace.' It is understood that the meeting had been called at Washington's request, and included representatives from the US, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Finland and Poland as well as the UK. Ukraine was represented by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the country's national security and defence council, and the head of Mr Zelensky's office, Andriy Yermak. In a post on social media, Mr Yermak said the allies' positions were 'clear' that 'a reliable, lasting peace is only possible with Ukraine at the negotiating table, with full respect for our sovereignty and without recognising the occupation'. Ahead of the meeting at Chevening, Sir Keir discussed the talks in a call with Mr Zelensky on Saturday, and also spoke to French President Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile, the conflict continues, with Ukrainian authorities reporting four people killed and 16 wounded in Russian drone strikes on Saturday in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Latest sign Las Vegas is dying
Las Vegas has shown yet another worrying sign that it's on the decline as soaring prices and tourist boycotts have driven visitors away. Tipping in Las Vegas has plunged by as much as 50 percent, according to Fox News. Workers are blaming a sharp drop in visitors, which they say has left them with fewer customers and lower pay. 'No tax on tips, that's a rad thing,' Charlie Mungo, 36, a tattoo artist in downtown Las Vegas, told the Wall Street Journal of President Trump's new policy. 'But it doesn't really do us much good if there isn't any people to get tips from.' Mungo said he now makes about $1,500 a month and has lost nearly a third of his clients after Canadian tourists, who used to represent 30 percent of his business, stopped coming. Many blame the economy, rising costs, and even political boycotts of the city. Some service workers are pointing fingers at Donald Trump, saying his presidency has led to a drop in international visitors, while others say the real problem is Vegas itself. 'We're all starting to freak out,' Mungo said. Jacob Soto, 22, a supervisor at Pinkbox Doughnuts in downtown Vegas, told the Wall Street Journal that his credit card tips have shrunk from $200 a week to $100–$150. 'I kinda rely on tips at the end of the day,' he said. On Reddit's r/VegasLocals forum, one cocktail waitress said she used to average about '80 cents a drink.' 'Now I'm averaging about 10 cents,' the waitress wrote. Another server added: 'We are working triple what we used to and making a quarter of what we did.' According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, overall visits to Sin City are down more than 6 percent this year. Las Vegas welcomed 3.39 million visitors in March, down almost eight percent from 3.68 million in February. April saw just over 3.3 million visitors, a drop of 5.1 percent from last year.
