Renewed Tariff Threats as Trump Targets Trade Partners**

The U.S. administration is revisiting its trade policies, threatening heavy tariffs on Japan, South Korea, and five other nations if agreements are not reached, with larger tariffs looming in case of retaliation.**

On July 7, 2025, President Trump communicated dire trade warnings to Japan, South Korea, and five additional countries, stipulating that they must finalize new trade agreements with the U.S. by August 1 to skirt hefty tariff increases. The anticipated tariffs, articulated through letters to the leaders of the implicated nations and broadcasted via social media, underscore a worrying resurgence of Trump's confrontational trade stance.

These tariff rates, now set to replace the initial exorbitant duties announced earlier in April, reflect Trump's ongoing struggle to negotiate favorable trade arrangements. Initially, he had paused these higher tariffs for 90 days to foster negotiations, yet considerable headway has not materialized, with efforts to finalize "90 deals in 90 days" facing imminent closure as the deadline draws near.

To forestall impending tariffs and extend negotiation efforts, Trump is likely to issue an executive order today that further postpones the original levies. The leaders of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Laos, and Myanmar were among the first to receive the new electoral notification. Japan and South Korea, each constituting around 4% of U.S. imports, are slated for a 25% tariff increase, while Myanmar, with its minuscule share of U.S. imports, faces a staggering 40% tariff.

Trump has also intimated that retaliation in the form of countervailing import taxes from these or any other nations could provoke even steeper tariff increments. The situation is dynamic, with further communications expected to reach other countries as the administration considers ramifications from the tariffs initially proposed in April.

Christine Zhang, renowned for her expertise in graphics and data journalism, collaborates with economic policy reporter Tony Romm in shedding light on the evolving intricacies of U.S. trade policy under the Trump administration.