Trump postpones tariff hike until August 1 and begins sending out offer letters

US President Donald Trump has announced a delay in the implementation of increased import tariffs from July 9 to August 1, 2025, giving countries more time to reach trade deals with Washington. The move is part of Trump’s “Free America” program aimed at reducing the US trade deficit. The delay allows countries that have not yet reached agreements with the US to continue negotiations until early August.

The Trump administration has already started sending warning letters to the leaders of countries that will be subject to the new tariffs from August 1. The first to receive such letters were Japan and South Korea, where it was announced that a 25% tariff would be imposed on all imports to the US. The letters were published on the Truth Social platform, which Trump owns. They state that the tariffs will be applied separately from industry tariffs, and that goods transported in transit to avoid the higher rates will be taxed at the highest possible rate.

Trump later released letters to the leaders of Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, and Myanmar. The documents set out tariffs of 25% for Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30% for South Africa, and 40% for Laos and Myanmar. The US president stressed that countries could avoid the tariffs if they moved production facilities to the US, promising to quickly grant all necessary permits for such investments. In total, the new tariffs will apply to 14 countries, the full list of which has already been published.

This move is a continuation of Trump’s aggressive trade policy, which began on April 2, 2025, when he announced a 10% basic tariff on imports from 74 countries and the EU due to a negative trade balance. In particular, for China, the tariff rate was initially 34%, but after mirror measures from Beijing, the US increased it to 145%. In April, Trump also imposed a 90-day pause for most countries to allow time for negotiations, but he continued to ratchet up pressure on China.

The delay until August 1 gives the European Union, which is under pressure from its own businesses, especially in the auto industry, a chance to negotiate new trade terms. At the same time, countries that do not make a deal will face new tariffs, which Trump has said could reach 60-70% for some countries. The policy has raised concerns about a possible trade war, as US trading partners strongly criticize unilateral measures that violate WTO rules.

List of countries with new tariffs (from August 1, 2025):

Japan – 25%

South Korea – 25%

South Africa – 30%

Kazakhstan – 25%

Laos – 40%

Malaysia – 25%

Myanmar – 40%

Tunisia – 25%

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 30%

Indonesia – 32%

Bangladesh – 35%

Serbia – 35%

Cambodia – 36%

Thailand – 36%

Tags: South Africa, duties, Japan, Myanmar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, South Korea, Serbia, Thailand, Malaysia, USA