President Donald Trump announced that he plans to send a single letter to over 150 small countries, informing them of a uniform tariff rate they will face. Trump said, “They’re not big countries, and they don’t do that much business,” adding that the treatment differs from larger trading partners like China and Japan.
Currently, all countries are subject to a 10% baseline tariff introduced in April. While Trump has previously floated the possibility of raising this to 15–20%, he did not confirm a new rate.
About two dozen countries, including the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, have already received individual tariff notices effective August 1, triggering last-minute negotiations. Countries such as Taiwan, Switzerland, and India, each with over 3% of the U.S. trade deficit, have yet to receive a letter.
