Donald Trump, the U.S. President, has signed several letters that announce new trade tariffs. These letters are set to go out to twelve different countries next week. This action comes right before a strict July 9 deadline for the tariffs to begin.
The news came on Saturday, July 5, 2025. President Trump spoke to reporters while flying on Air Force One the day before, on Friday. He confirmed he had already put his name on some of these letters. “About 12 letters will be sent out on Monday, July 7,” he stated. He added that the names of the specific countries would be made public on the same day.
These new trade taxes are called “reciprocal tariffs.” They will add a tax from 10% up to 70% on imported goods. Many nations and territories across the globe will be affected, reaching from Taiwan all the way to the European Union.
President Trump first talked about these trade taxes back in April. He planned a basic tariff on almost all goods coming into the United States. He also set up higher, “reciprocal” tariffs specifically for countries where the U.S. buys more than it sells. However, he paused these tougher taxes for 90 days. This break was meant to give countries a chance to negotiate. Now, that negotiation window ends on July 9.
Many countries worked hard to try and make deals. They hoped to avoid or at least lower these new U.S. tariffs. But so far, only two nations have managed to reach agreements. The United Kingdom and Vietnam are the only ones that have settled terms with the Trump administration.
As the final deadline drew near, President Trump often repeated how he planned to inform countries about their new tariff rates. He would simply send them a letter. Speaking from Air Force One, he explained that sending a letter was much easier than “sitting down and doing 15 other things.” He compared this method to past trade discussions. “With the UK, we did that, and it was good for both sides,” he said. “With China, we did that, and I think it was very good for both sides.”
He went on to explain his straightforward approach. “It’s much easier to send a letter and say, ‘Listen, we know we have a deficit, or a surplus in some cases, but not much. This is what you have to pay if you want to do business with the United States.'”
The source for this report is cna.