Trump says he'll send out letters setting unilateral tariff rates in 1 to 2 weeks
US President Donald Trump said he intended to send letters to trading partners in the next one to two weeks setting unilateral tariff rates, ahead of a July 9 deadline to reimpose higher duties on dozens of economies.
Advertisement
'At a certain point, we're just going to send letters out. And I think you understand that, saying this is the deal, you can take it or leave it,' Trump told reporters on Wednesday at the Kennedy Centre in Washington where he was attending a performance.
It is unclear if Trump will follow through with his pledge. The president has often set two-week deadlines for actions, only for them to come later or not at all.
The president on May 16 said he would be setting tariff rates for US trading partners 'over the next two to three weeks'. The only trade framework the US has reached is with the UK, along with a tariff truce with China.
Asked on Wednesday if he would extend the deadline for nations to cut deals with his administration before higher levies take effect, Trump said he would be open to it.
Advertisement
'But I don't think we're gonna have that necessity,' he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
an hour ago
- South China Morning Post
As Trump hits out at critics, damage to America may go far deeper
Four months into his second term, US President Donald Trump has launched a high-stakes campaign against three pillars of American society: mainstream media, elite universities and the nation's most influential law firms. Through lawsuits, executive orders and threats to funding, he has exerted unprecedented pressure on many institutions, sparking debate about whether his actions signify genuine reform or personal vendettas Advertisement Critics argue that these confrontations reflect a desire to settle old scores rather than drive meaningful change. Regardless, it raises urgent questions about the future role of these institutions in upholding democracy. To gauge public sentiment, American broadcaster Michael Smerconish recently polled his audience on which sector – major law firms, academia or the media – is most vital to the nation's interests. The poll suggests the public recognises all three as essential pillars of society, with law firms rated slightly higher. The close division also suggests that, despite acknowledging the flaws in each sector, Americans perceive all of them as vital checks on government power and crucial safeguards for the rule of law. The challenges facing each sector have become increasingly pronounced. The American media, long regarded as a government watchdog, faces a wave of lawsuits and executive actions. These conflicts involve financial and psychological costs, potentially prompting media organisations to exercise greater caution in or even desist from reporting on matters of public interest. Advertisement Elite universities have also come under scrutiny. The administration has threatened to freeze federal grants and is restricting international student enrolment, citing issues such as campus antisemitism. While it is important to address campus challenges, critics warn these actions risk politicising higher education and may be more about exerting leverage than genuine reform.
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong primary schools to enhance national security focus in revised English curriculum
Hong Kong primary schools will be required to enhance their patriotic and national security education as part of a revised curriculum guide for the English language subject. The previous version of the guide encouraged English teachers to allow students to explore topics related to human rights and equal opportunities. However, these topics have now been replaced with themes such as respect for others, animal rights and environmental protection. The Education Bureau on Tuesday released the 'English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide for Primary One to Primary Six', eight years after the previous edition was announced. The change means there is now a stand-alone guide for primary schools. 'While the curriculum framework for English language education remains unchanged, updates have been made to each chapter to reflect developments over the years,' the bureau said in the circular, which was sent to the 507 local primary schools. It highlighted four major areas that were updated – values education, assessment literacy, e-learning and information literacy and reading. 'In addition to developing students' language skills, values education should be promoted in the school English-language curriculum as it is essential for fostering students' whole-person development,' it said. Hong Kong students should sing national anthem 'with emotion', says education chief Authorities introduced national security education to boost patriotism among students after the social unrest in 2019. The South China Morning Post has compared the previous edition with the latest guide and found that the bureau has added 'strengthening values education, covering national education including patriotic education, national security education, and life education' as one of the initiatives to enhance students' learning experience. 'To help students become informed and responsible citizens with a sense of national identity and an awareness of national security, relevant themes, topics and everyday life events can be identified,' it said. Under the chapter introducing 'proper values and attitudes' in the curriculum, it stated what should be taught to students in English language learning. 'National education, constitution and Basic Law education and national security education are all essential for helping students develop into good nationals who have a sense of national identity, respect the rule of law and abide by the law, hence safeguarding national security,' it said. The previous guide, published in 2017, stated that students could be provided with opportunities to explore a wealth of value-laden issues, such as human rights and responsibilities, sustainability, and equal opportunities, thereby deepening their understanding of positive values and attitudes from multiple perspectives. But the issues of human rights and equal opportunities have been deleted in the latest guide, with authorities replacing them with 'respect for others, animal rights and protection, and environmental protection'. Hong Kong authorities introduced national security education to boost patriotism among students after the social unrest in 2019. Photo: Eugene Lee In the old guide, the 'rule of law, cultural inclusion, respect for pluralism, mutual respect and acceptance' were cited as examples that could be integrated into the curriculum, but they are not mentioned in the new one. A teaching example related to food is cited to raise students' awareness of the importance of safeguarding national security and cultivate in students 'a sense of belonging to the country, an affection for the nation and a sense of national identity'. It said students should read an article about Yuan Longping, known as the 'father of hybrid rice' for developing the world's first crossbred rice varieties in the 1970s, to understand his contributions to boosting grain harvests. The new guide also reminded English teachers to use photos rather than drawing the national and Hong Kong flags and emblems when using them in their teaching resources. Veteran English teacher Pauline Chow Lo-sai said educators might need more help from the bureau in designing learning materials if it wanted to foster awareness of national security among students. 'National security is a big topic,' she said, adding that schools still relied on textbooks for teaching English. 'It would be good to offer schools more similar samples if the bureau wants to foster awareness of national security among students in English lessons.'
South China Morning Post
2 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Chinese solar firms bank on overseas expansion to ensure survival in the face of US tariffs
Chinese solar and energy-storage companies will continue to press ahead with their overseas expansion with or without a long-term agreement on trade tariffs, as production abroad holds the key to their long-term survival, according to executives at China's largest solar industry exhibition. Advertisement Although the US and China reached a 90-day truce in their ongoing tariff war in May, solar panel exports from China and Southeast Asia to the US are still subject to tariffs of as much as 3,521 per cent, with Washington citing unfair trade practices such as subsidies and dumping for the high levies. 'The industry used to say that you either go overseas or exit the game,' said Gao Jifan, chairman of Trina Solar, one of the world's largest solar-panel manufacturers, at the SNEC PV+ Photovoltaic Power Conference and Exhibition in Shanghai. 'Now, due to tariffs, simply exporting isn't enough; you must also localise production abroad.' Chinese firms are increasingly diversifying their production base in response to the trade tensions. Currently, about 80 per cent of existing Chinese solar manufacturers' overseas capacity – solar wafers, solar cells and modules – was in Southeast Asia, according to data from S&P Global Commodity Insights. 02:31 Indonesia opens largest floating solar power plant in Southeast Asia as part of green push Indonesia opens largest floating solar power plant in Southeast Asia as part of green push However, nearly 80 per cent of their planned overseas capacity expansion was in the Middle East and Africa, followed by the US and Europe, it added. Advertisement 'There is no clear indication of whether the tariffs will increase or decrease after the 90-day pause,' said He Lipeng, vice general manager of Qingdao Haier Energy Technology, the solar and energy-storage unit of Chinese electronics giant Haier Group. 'However, if tariffs were to rise to 200 per cent, [exports] would be impossible.'
