1st LD: Trump says to impose 25-pct tariffs on Japan, ROK
In his letters addressed to the ROK president and the Japanese prime minister that he posted on Truth Social, Trump said the new tariffs will be separate from all other sectoral tariffs.
In the almost identical letters, Trump said, "Please understand that the 25% number is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country."
Trump warned that if the two countries raise their tariffs in response, the United States will increase its tariffs by the same amount.
"As you are aware, there will be no Tariff if Korea, or companies within your Country, decide to build or manufacture product within the United States and, in fact, we will do everything possible to get approvals quickly, professionally, and routinely -- In other words, in a matter of weeks," Trump wrote in one of the letters.
The president had previously indicated he would send letters to roughly a dozen countries on Monday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Trump's stance on Russia sanctions sparks cautious optimism for Ukraine
WASHINGTON: A bipartisan US bill aiming to impose sanctions on Russia to encourage peace negotiations with Ukraine has gained momentum in Congress. However, it still lacks the crucial endorsement from President Donald Trump, leaving Ukraine's allies cautiously hopeful. Trump, who previously vowed to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, has yet to fully back the legislation. He is expected to make a 'major statement' on Russia soon, raising speculation over his stance. Recent frustrations with Russian President Vladimir Putin over ceasefire delays and rising civilian casualties have hinted at a tougher US position. This week, Trump approved sending defensive weapons to Ukraine and edged closer to supporting the sanctions bill, though he has not yet signed off on the final text. Republican leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson, have expressed optimism about a vote this month. Senator Lindsey Graham, a key sponsor, stated that the bill would target not only Russia but also countries like China and India for purchasing Russian energy, which funds Moscow's war efforts. Despite this, concerns remain over whether Trump will prioritise diplomacy over sanctions. The White House seeks extensive veto power over sanctions, potentially weakening the bill's impact. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at a 'new approach' discussed during talks with Russian officials but provided no details. The proposed sanctions would penalise Russian entities and third-party nations trading with Moscow, including 500% tariffs on Russian energy imports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has repeatedly urged stronger sanctions to pressure Russia into ceasefire talks. Negotiations continue to refine the bill, addressing technical issues such as exemptions for US embassy operations in Moscow. However, time is tight, with Congress set to recess soon. Even if passed, Trump's broad authority to veto sanctions may limit its effectiveness. - Reuters
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
Netanyahu: Truce deal within reach
Published on: Saturday, July 12, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 12, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: A Palestinian inspects the damage at the site of an overnight Israeli strike on the Halima Saadiya school in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces were targeting 'terrorist infrastructure' in southern Gaza, the military said Friday, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu voiced hope that an agreement with Hamas could be reached within days for a pause in the 21-month war. Negotiators from Israel and the Palestinian militant group have been locked in indirect talks in Qatar since Sunday to try to agree a temporary ceasefire. Netanyahu said a lasting truce could follow, but only if Hamas lays down its arms and is no longer able to govern or operate in the Gaza Strip. On the ground, Gaza's civil defence agency reported a fresh wave of Israeli strikes, including one that killed five people at a school building sheltering displaced Palestinians. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the agency and other parties. In the south of the territory, a witness said there were ongoing attacks and widespread devastation, with Israeli tanks seen near the city of Khan Yunis. 'The situation remains extremely difficult in the area—intense gunfire, intermittent air strikes, artillery shelling and ongoing bulldozing and destruction of displacement camps and agricultural land' south of Khan Yunis, he added. Israel's military said in a statement that it was operating in the Khan Yunis area against 'terrorist infrastructure sites, both above and below ground'. In Qatar, sticking points remain in the talks, both sides said. Hamas, whose cross-border attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 sparked the war, has said that as part of a truce deal it was willing to release 10 of the hostages taken that day. In an interview with US outlet Newsmax broadcast on Thursday, Netanyahu said that would leave 10 living hostages still in captivity. 'I hope we can complete it in a few days,' he added of the initial ceasefire agreement and hostage release. 'We'll probably have a 60-day ceasefire, get the first batch out, then use the 60-day ceasefire to negotiate an end to this.' Netanyahu, who was in Washington this week and met Trump twice to discuss the ceasefire proposals, is under pressure at home to end the war because of mounting military casualties. Trump is looking to secure a deal while his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has said it could be concluded by the end of this week. On Thursday, Netanyahu said Israel was ready to start talks for a lasting deal with Hamas when a temporary ceasefire is in place. But he said the Islamist militants must first give up their weapons and their hold on the Palestinian territory. Failure to do so on Israel's terms would lead to further conflict, Netanyahu said. Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has also said the Doha talks could take 'a few more days', with unresolved issues including agreement on the number of Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange for hostages. Hamas has said it wants 'real guarantees' on a lasting truce as well as the free flow of aid to help Gaza's population of more than two million people, who are facing dire humanitarian conditions. Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim told AFP on Thursday that his group wanted Israel's full withdrawal from Gaza and would not accept any Israeli moves to herd Palestinians into 'isolated enclaves'. Hamas's October 2023 attack led to the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures. Out of 251 hostages seized in the attack, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. At least 57,762 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since the start of the war, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Daily Express
2 hours ago
- Daily Express
Trump birthright citizenship order halted by Judge
Published on: Saturday, July 12, 2025 Published on: Sat, Jul 12, 2025 By: AFP Text Size: Trump's executive order decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens. WASHINGTON: A Federal Judge halted President Donald Trump's order restricting birthright citizenship, as opponents of the policy pursue a new legal avenue following the US Supreme Court's overturning of a previous block. The high court's conservative majority delivered a landmark decision in late June that limits the ability of individual judges to issue nationwide injunctions against presidents' policies. Several such judges had in fact blocked Trump's attempt to end the longstanding rule, guaranteed in the US Constitution, that anyone born on US soil is automatically an American citizen. However, the Supreme Court left open the possibility that orders could be blocked via broad class-action suits against the government. Trump's opponents quickly filed new class-action suits seeking to block again the executive order. On Thursday, Judge Joseph Laplante of the US District of New Hampshire granted class-action status to any child who would potentially be denied citizenship under Trump's order. The judge ordered a preliminary halt to it as legal proceedings carry on. The judge delayed his ruling for seven days to permit the Trump administration to appeal. Cody Wofsy, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) who argued the case, called the ruling a 'huge victory' that 'will help protect the citizenship of all children born in the United States, as the Constitution intended.' Trump's executive order decrees that children born to parents in the United States illegally or on temporary visas would not automatically become citizens—a radical reinterpretation of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. His administration has argued that the 14th Amendment, passed in the wake of the Civil War, addresses the rights of former slaves and not the children of undocumented migrants or temporary US visitors. The Supreme Court rejected such a narrow definition in a landmark 1898 case. The current high court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, avoided ruling last month on the constitutionality of Trump's executive order and only addressed the issue of nationwide injunctions. It nonetheless permitted the order to go ahead but delayed its ruling from taking effect until late July to allow for new court challenges. Several lower courts, in issuing their previous injunctions, had ruled that the executive order violated the Constitution. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
