President Donald Trump has confirmed that 14 countries have received formal tariff notices, with the new levies set to take effect on August 1. While the president said the deadline is firm, he left the door open for last-minute negotiations.
“I’d say firm, but not 100% firm,” Trump told reporters on Monday. “If they call up and say they’d like to do something a different way, we’re open to that.”
The tariff rollout marks a major escalation in Trump’s ongoing effort to overhaul global trade relationships. The affected countries include major U.S. partners such as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, as well as others like Laos, Myanmar, Tunisia, and Kazakhstan.
Tariff Levels and Timeline
Originally, the tariff implementation was scheduled for July 9, following a 90-day review period announced in April during Trump’s “Liberation Day” policy event. However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Monday that the deadline is now being officially pushed to August 1 via executive order.
“The president will be signing an executive order delaying the July 9 deadline to August 1,” Leavitt said. “The new tariff rates and corresponding letters are being dispatched this month unless successful trade deals are reached before then.”
Country-Specific Tariff Rates
- Laos & Myanmar: 40%
- Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Tunisia: 25%
Trump has warned each recipient country that any retaliatory tariff will be met with a proportional response.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs, then whatever the number you choose to raise them by will be added onto the tariffs that we charge,” he wrote in the letters posted on Truth Social.
More Tariff Letters on the Way
While 14 countries have received letters so far, Leavitt indicated that additional letters will be issued in the coming days, suggesting that this is just the beginning of a broader global trade reset under Trump’s administration.
The tariff push follows months of high-stakes diplomacy, with several nations now scrambling to reach revised trade agreements before the August 1 deadline locks in higher rates.
