Trump Plans Fresh Tariffs on 12 Countries, Letters to Go Out on Monday

US President Donald Trump has said he will impose new tariffs on imports from 12 countries, signalling a shift away from trade negotiations towards a more direct approach.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said he had signed letters that will be sent on Monday to inform the countries of the new tariff rates. He did not name the countries but added that the rates would be made public once the letters go out.

“I signed some letters and they'll go out on Monday, probably twelve,” Trump said. “Different amounts of money, different amounts of tariffs.”

Back in April, Trump announced a 10% base tariff on most US trading partners, with some countries facing much higher rates if they didn’t agree to new trade terms. Those higher tariffs were put on hold for 90 days to allow time for talks, but that period ends on 9 July.

Now, Trump says some of the tariffs could go up to 70%, and most would take effect from August 1.

Trade talks with several major partners like the European Union, Japan and India, despite making progress, have not resulted in anything substantial yet. Only two deals have been finalised so far, one with the UK in May, and another with Vietnam. The UK agreement keeps the 10% base tariff and offers benefits for sectors like cars and aircraft. Vietnam’s deal lowers its tariffs from 46% to 20%, in exchange for allowing US goods in duty-free.

Talks with the EU appear to have broken down, and officials in Brussels say they may try to keep the current terms in place to avoid the harsher tariffs.

Trump, however, seems ready to move on. “The letters are better… much easier to send a letter,” he said.

Trade experts say reaching full trade agreements is complicated and usually takes years. But Trump’s new strategy skips over the back-and-forth and puts pressure on countries to accept the US’s terms quickly.

As the deadline approaches, markets and officials are watching closely. These new tariffs could affect a wide range of industries and add to global trade uncertainty, especially for countries still trying to negotiate with Washington.