The U.S. plans to charge up to 70% tariffs on imports from some countries starting Aug. 1 as President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on his country-specific reciprocal duties nears its expiration date.
Starting Monday at noon EST, the U.S. will send letters detailing tariff rates for specific trading partners that have yet to reach a tariff deal with the Trump administration before the pause ends July 9, the president said Sunday. Trump told reporters Friday that the rates would range between 10% and 70%.
The U.S. is specifically focused on “18 important trading relationships,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday. He also indicated that countries that do not reach deals in the next few days will return to the tariff rate Trump first outlined as part of the president’s global reciprocal tariff announcement April 2.
“President Trump’s going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners, saying that, if you don’t move things along, then, on August 1, you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level,” Bessent said.
It remains unclear if countries will be able to negotiate with the Trump administration after this week’s deadline, but Bessent said the Aug. 1 implementation date does not mean the 90-day tariff pause has been extended.
“It’s not a new deadline. We are saying this is when it’s happening,” Bessent said. “If you want to speed things up, have at it. If you want to go back to the old rate, that’s your choice.”
Since the reciprocal tariff announcement in early April, the U.S. has come to terms on deals with three countries, according to Trump. Most recently, Trump said his administration reached a deal with Vietnam wherein imports from the country would be charged a 20% tariff upon entering the U.S.
The U.S. has also formulated a framework for a deal with China and signed a pact the U.K.
