US President Donald Trump has once again shaken up global trade by announcing that from Friday, the US will begin sending letters to its trading partners, informing them about new tariff rates.
Meanwhile, talks with several countries—including India—to avoid these high US tariffs are in their final stages.
Letters Going to 10–12 Countries
Trump told reporters late Thursday that around 10 to 12 countries would receive these letters on Friday, with more letters to follow over the next few days.
He added that the tariff rates would range from 60–70% and 10–20%, which these countries must pay from August 1 to trade with the US.
How Much Tariff Will Each Country Pay?
“I’m thinking of sending a letter saying how much tariff each country will need to pay,” Trump said in media reports.
“We have more than 170 countries—how many deals can you make? You can have good deals, but they’re too complex.”
He added, “I want a simple system that’s easy to manage. So we’ll impose 20% or 30% tariffs, and starting tomorrow, we’ll send letters to different countries—probably 10 per day—telling them what they’ll pay to trade with the US.”
Deals Finalised with Vietnam and China
Trump also confirmed that new trade deals have been made with Vietnam and China. Last month, he mentioned that the US could soon reach a deal with India.
This announcement comes just before the July 9 deadline set by the Trump administration to finalize trade agreements with selected countries after introducing reciprocal tariffs.
The US had given a 90-day pause in trade talks during which most countries had tariffs kept under 10% to allow time for negotiations until July 9.
When Will the India–US Trade Deal Be Signed?
India’s negotiation team, led by Special Secretary Rajesh Aggarwal, is in Washington to take part in top-level talks to finalize a trade agreement with the US.
Both sides aim to close an interim deal before the July 9 deadline. After that, talks will continue for a full trade agreement expected to be signed around September–October.
However, the US wants greater access to Indian markets for its agriculture and dairy products.
This is a key issue for India, as it could affect the livelihood of small farmers, making it a very sensitive topic in the trade talks.
