President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the U.S. will begin sending letters to its trade partners on Monday outlining new tariff rates—just days before the expiration of a 90-day pause on his earlier tariff hikes. The announcement, however, added to growing confusion over exactly when the tariffs will take effect.
Speaking to reporters, Trump suggested his administration would send “12, maybe 15” letters, while also noting that some trade agreements had already been reached. “So we’re going to have a combination of letters and deals,” he said.
When asked whether the new tariffs would kick in this week—on July 9, when the pause ends—or on August 1, as some officials have indicated, Trump’s response was muddled:
“No, they’re going to be tariffs, the tariffs, the tariffs are going to be, the tariffs,” he said, before adding, “I think we’ll have most countries done by July 9, yeah. Either a letter or a deal.”
Sensing the ambiguity, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stepped in to clarify: “But they go into effect on August 1. Tariffs go into effect August 1, but the president is setting the rates and the deals right now.”
Trump originally announced in April a sweeping 10% base tariff on most trading partners, along with additional levies of up to 50%. The bulk of those duties were delayed until July 9. With the new effective date now pushed to August 1, countries have a brief extension—but businesses are facing extended uncertainty over exact tariff rates and trade rules.
Asian financial markets reacted negatively to the shifting guidance. Japan’s Nikkei fell 0.3%, South Korea’s stock market dropped 0.7%, and the MSCI Asia-Pacific index (excluding Japan) eased 0.1%.
Later on Sunday, Trump posted an update to his Truth Social account, confirming that “TARIFF Letters, and/or Deals” would begin going out at noon ET on Monday. He added that any country “aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS” would face an additional 10% tariff, without exception. The BRICS bloc—Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—had just issued a joint statement at their summit in Brazil condemning rising unilateral tariff policies, warning of global economic harm.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday that major trade announcements could come in the days ahead. He said negotiations with the European Union were showing progress and confirmed that the U.S. would notify roughly 100 smaller trade partners—many with limited trade volume—that their tariffs would revert to the previously announced April 2 rates unless deals are reached.
“President Trump’s going to be sending letters to some of our trading partners saying that if you don’t move things along, then on August 1 you will boomerang back to your April 2 tariff level,” Bessent said. “So I think we’re going to see a lot of deals very quickly.”
Kevin Hassett, head of the White House National Economic Council, echoed that sentiment on CBS, suggesting that while deadlines were firm, there may be flexibility for countries actively negotiating. “There are deadlines, and there are things that are close,” Hassett said. “Maybe some things will push past the deadline. In the end, the president will make that judgment.”
Trump’s aggressive tariff policy has sparked a global trade war since he returned to office, rattling financial markets and forcing governments to either cut deals with the U.S. or devise countermeasures to protect their economies.
