Donald Trump’s new customs duties are “almost final” and should not be the subject of negotiations immediately, according to the American representative to trade, who also defended the trade measures taken by the president against Brazil.
“These customs duties are almost final,” said representative Jamieson Greer on the CBS channel, during a pre -recorded interview, broadcast on Sunday. Asked about possible downward negotiations of these customs surcharges, Mr. Greer said that they would probably not take place “in the coming days”.
The American representative of trade Jamieson Greer, on August 1, 2025.
AFP / Jim Watson
Donald Trump signed Thursday the decree setting the amount of new customs duties which will receive several dozen countries, ranging from 10% to 41%. These new import taxes will take effect, for the most part of the countries, on August 7, in order to allow customs to organize themselves for their collection.
The products of the European Union, Japan or South Korea will be taxed up to 15%, those of the United Kingdom at 10%. Indonesia is 19%, Vietnam and Taiwan suffer from 20%from surcharge. “We can clearly see the contours of the president’s commercial project through these rates,” said Greer.
These customs duties are also a means of political pressure for Donald Trump. Brazil, guilty in the eyes of the White House tenant to prosecute his far-right ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro, will see his products entering the United States taxed at 50%.
“The president noted in Brazil, as in other countries, an ill -use of the law, an ill -use of democracy,” said the representative to trade. “It is normal to use these tools (tariffs) for geopolitical questions,” he added.
Brazil’s Supreme Court judge in charge of the trial of Jair Bolsonaro said on Friday that Brazilian justice would not comply with the “threats” of the Trump administration.
The American president “was elected to take stock of the situation of foreign affairs in the United States and take the appropriate measures,” concluded Jamieson Greer.