Overview

• Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced late on July 30 that the United States had finalized trade pacts with Cambodia and Thailand following their US-brokered truce.
• President Trump leveraged the threat of halting negotiations and imposing steep tariffs to persuade both nations to agree to a ceasefire along their disputed border.
• The agreements were struck just two days before the administration’s self-imposed deadline under its 90-day tariff pause policy.
• They follow a separate deal with South Korea to enforce a 15% tariff and precede a 25% levy on Indian imports set to take effect on August 1.
• The moves underscore Washington’s broader strategy of using firm tariff deadlines to secure diplomatic and security concessions from trading partners.