The United States President, Donald Trump has announced a delay in the planned increase of tariffs on imported goods, while issuing formal warnings to fourteen countries—among them Japan and South Korea—regarding potential new levies.
The move comes as a 90-day suspension of the White House’s earlier tariff threats was set to expire this week. Although the tariff hike was scheduled to take effect tomorrow, the administration has opted to hold off temporarily in hopes of advancing trade negotiations.
Despite the delay, President Trump renewed his threat to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Japan and South Korea. He also dispatched letters to global counterparts, notifying them that new tariffs could be enforced starting August 1 if progress on trade talks stalls.
The White House had previously suspended the tariff measures to create room for potential bilateral trade agreements. However, the renewed warnings suggest the administration remains firm on its protectionist stance.
Reporting by Wahab Bello, Editing by Funke Fagunwa