President Donald Trump announced that beginning Monday, his administration will send letters to foreign governments that set tariff rates on their imports into the US.
The move marks a shift of focus back to trade policy following the president's recent legislative victory in signing the “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump said about a dozen letters would be sent, according to Axios, though he did not name which countries would receive them or specify exact tariff rates.
“They’ll range in value from maybe 60 percent or 70 percent tariffs to 10 percent and 20 percent tariffs, but they’re going to be starting to go out sometime tomorrow,” Trump said. “We’ve done the final form, and it’s basically going to explain what the countries are going to be paying in tariffs.”
The tariffs outlined in the letters are expected to take effect on August 1.
The measure is widely seen as part of the Trump administration’s strategy of using tariffs as leverage to negotiation better trade deals. The tactic has led to recent trade agreements with countries including the United Kingdom, China, and Vietnam, prompting the White House to delay previously planned tariffs. According to Axios, nations such as South Korea and Thailand are currently working on similar arrangements.
The president’s current tariff pause is scheduled to expire on July 9, although some countries, including China and Canada, have separate timelines that end later. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said that deadlines are flexible, with the administration aiming to finalize deals by Labor Day.
