U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday that his administration will begin sending formal letters to countries around the world detailing new tariff rates, possibly as soon as Friday, as the July 9 trade deadline approaches.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said the letters will outline the exact tariff rates each country will be required to pay, citing potential figures such as 20%, 25%, or 30%. The move signals a more unilateral approach to trade policy as the administration grows increasingly impatient with ongoing negotiations, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
“We have far more than 170 countries, and how many deals can you make?” Trump said. “You can make good deals, but they are much more complicated. I’d rather send out a letter saying this is what you’re going to pay.”
Trump emphasized that while many countries are pushing for detailed trade agreements that include multiple clauses, he prefers a simpler, more direct format. According to the president, the administration could begin sending about 10 letters per day starting Friday.
The announcement comes as the U.S. nears the end of a 90-day suspension of tariffs originally imposed on April 2, then paused on April 9 to allow space for negotiations. With the July 9 deadline now just days away, Trump has made it clear that he has no intention of extending the freeze.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed the president’s stance in an interview with CNBC, warning that negotiating countries should not delay talks. “Countries should be careful,” Bessent said. “If they’re not careful in the trade talks, we could go right back to the April 2 tariff levels.”
Tariff discussions remain ongoing with several nations hoping to secure more favorable terms before the freeze expires. The looming letters represent a high-stakes pressure tactic by the White House to accelerate agreements with trading partners.
As global markets monitor the situation closely, economists warn that a return to steep tariffs could reignite trade tensions and disrupt supply chains already recovering from prior rounds of U.S. trade actions.
