President Donald Trump.
Higher US import tariffs on the European Union and other global trading partners have come into effect. The additional duties ordered by Donald Trump were set to be imposed as planned at midnight local time in Washington (6 a.m. in Germany), as the US president confirmed just minutes earlier on his platform Truth Social.
In addition to the EU, nearly 70 other countries are affected by the adjusted tariff rates, with varying levels of increases. Trump justifies his radical tariff policy by citing alleged trade deficits that pose a national security risk to the US—hence, he claims, a national emergency exists that warrants the tariffs. His approach is also legally controversial.
"Billions of dollars will pour into the USA, largely from countries that have exploited and laughed at America for many years," Trump wrote in all caps on Truth Social. The only thing that could now stop "America's greatness", he claimed, would be a "radical left-wing court" that wants to see the US fail.
Trump had ordered the new tariffs via decree last week. The European Commission had initially interpreted the deadline differently and likely expected them to take effect only on Friday, August 8.
Countries not on the extensive tariff list face different duties. The US is also negotiating separately with China and Mexico. Additionally, Trump has threatened or already imposed punitive tariffs on nations doing business with Russia in the energy sector, indirectly supporting the Kremlin’s war of aggression against Ukraine—this was the stated justification, for example, in the case of special tariffs on India.
The EU Commission recently reached a new framework agreement with its American trade partners: it managed to halve the threatened tariff increase to 15%, after Trump had previously announced in a letter a 30% levy on most EU exports to the US.
MK
