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Trump Delays August Tariffs and Sends Fresh Letters to Six Nations

The move aims to pool pressure on reluctant partners as the EU seeks a deal to avoid looming duties

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim delivers his keynote address during the opening ceremony of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' meeting and related meetings at the Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
Workers leave a garment factory during their lunch break, in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, April 19, 2025. REUTERS/Fatima Tuj Johora
President Donald Trump waves to the media after exiting Air Force One, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Sunday, July 6, 2025, en route to the White House after spending the weekend in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overview

  • Trump has postponed implementation of reciprocal tariffs originally set for July 9 to August 1, extending the 90-day negotiation window
  • Letters issued on July 9 detail 20%–40% tariff rates for six smaller trading partners, adding to the 14 nations already notified
  • The White House threatens a 50% duty on imported copper and long-planned levies on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals without concessions
  • Only two formal trade agreements have been finalized—one each with the UK and Vietnam—and a vague framework with China remains unspecified
  • Financial markets remain unsettled over tariff uncertainty as the EU rushes to clinch a pact before the August 1 deadline