President Trump announced that, overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of negotiating individual trade deals with over 170 countries, his administration will begin issuing unilateral tariff notices to U.S. trading partners starting July 4. The letters will specify new U.S. tariff rates on imports from each country, with rates taking effect on August 1.
“We have more than 170 countries, and how many deals can you make?” President Trump said to reporters, citing the logistical impracticality of crafting bilateral agreements with the entire world by his July 9 deadline.
According to reporting by Bloomberg, the letters will formally notify countries of the specific duties the U.S. intends to impose on their exports. “The time for waiting is over,” Trump was quoted as saying in a campaign event earlier this week. “We’ve tried talks, and we’re done being taken advantage of.”
The move marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s protectionist trade agenda and further signals a shift away from multilateralism. Under the plan, U.S. tariff rates will be set country-by-country at the discretion of the Executive Branch, bypassing the traditional negotiating process and sidelining international trade norms.
The policy has prompted concern among U.S. allies and trade analysts, who warn of legal and retaliatory risks. Nonetheless, Trump has insisted that the letter-based tariff notifications will “streamline” trade policy and “put America first” by pressuring foreign governments to negotiate on U.S. terms.
The administration has not disclosed the criteria for determining each country’s tariff rate but indicated that countries with large trade surpluses with the U.S. could face the highest duties.
The first wave of letters was expected to go out Friday July 4th.
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