The White House, which has the ambition to “restructure world trade for the benefit of American employees”, granted a respite of a few days. These import taxes will take effect on August 7, and not on August 1 as an initially expected, to allow customs to organize for the collection, said a White House official.
Asian scholarships nevertheless fell in concert on Friday after the publication of the surcharges.
They threaten, according to experts, to slow exchanges, to increase the costs of companies and the prices paid by consumers and to result in a slowdown in the world economy.
“There is no doubt: the decree and the trade agreements concluded in recent months have broken with the rules that governed international trade since the Second World War,” reacted Wendy Cutler, vice-president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
For some countries, no surprise. The surcharge displayed in the decree is that obtained after months of negotiations with Washington which sought to obtain as many concessions as possible, without being reproduced on American exports.
The European Union (EU), Japan or South Korea thus see their products taxed up to 15%, and the United Kingdom by 10%. The EU also obtained an exemption for key sectors.
The trade agreement between European Union and the United States leaves many open questions
Log for Mexico
For others, it will be the cold shower, like Switzerland, which receives a surcharge of 39%, much more than what had been promised to it in April (31%) while the Swiss authorities bet on negotiations.
Canada sees customs duties applied to its products go from 25% to 35%, unless they are covered by the free trade agreement between the three countries of North America.
Canada has not been able to cooperate in order to reduce the flood of fentanyl and other drugs “entering the United States, according to the White House, which also criticizes Ottawa for having taken reprisal measures against the United States”.
The highest surcharge concerns Syria (41%), followed by Laos (40%).
Several Asian savings, dependent on the American market, expressed their satisfaction on Friday to see that their exports will be affected by a surcharge below what the American executive had brandished at the start.
This is the case of Thailand, with 19% against 36% initially, which praised “major success”. Or Cambodia (with 19% also against 49% initially), which spoke of “the best news possible”.
Taiwan, whose products will be affected by 20% surcharge, said he hoped to obtain an additional drop after being threatened with a higher amount in April (32%).
In the midst of the many announcements of Thursday in the United States, a country has escaped the customs wrath of Donald Trump. Mexico obtained a 90 -day reprieve before a possible increase in customs duties.
Relief, resignation or desire to negotiate: here is how the countries referred to by the new surcharges of Donald Trump
Legal risk
The American executive, however, punished Brazil, earlier in the week. Brazilian products (excluding exceptions) will be struck by 50% customs surcharge at the entrance to the United States.
Donald Trump assumes to act in retaliation against the prosecution targeting ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, his far-right ally, accused of having tried a coup after his defeat during the 2022 election.
Coincidenting of the calendar, a federal court of appeal began Washington on Thursday to examine an appeal to determine whether Donald Trump went beyond his constitutional powers by imposing these surcharges without the approval of the congress. This concerns universal customs duties, that is to say those which are not imposed on a particular sector such as automobile or steel.
The lawyer for the complainants, small businesses and a dozen American states, notably denounced “an unprecedented monitoring of a president in 200 years”.
The White House has already promised to seize the Supreme Court if the decision was unfavorable to it.
Mixed reactions of the Belgian political world after the us-element on customs duties: “This is not an agreement that we can celebrate”
