President Donald Trump said he’s imposing new 30% tariffs against the European Union and Mexico, effectively blowing up the rules governing world trade.
With Saturday’s letters, Trump has interrupted months of negotiations with two of America’s biggest trading partners. Trump has now issued tariff conditions on 24 countries and the 27-member European Union.
He threatened new 35% tariffs against Canada a day earlier.
U.S. President Donald Trump answers questions during a multilateral lunch with African leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House July 9, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
New tariffs on EU, Mexico
What we know:
Trump announced new tariffs in letters he shared on his Truth Social account.
RELATED: Trump threatens 35% tariff on Canadian goods over dangerous cross-border fentanyl dispute
What we don’t know:
It’s unclear whether the EU or Mexico plan to retaliate with their own set of import taxes, but Trump threatened to raise the 30% tariffs even higher should either country do so.
What they’re saying:
Trump said although Mexico has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States, the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a “Narco-Trafficking Playground.”
Pres. Trump to send tariff letters to countries
President Trump spoke to members of the media at Joint Base Andrews after returning from Iowa and shared that he will begin sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States.
In his letter to the EU, he described the U.S. trade deficit as a national security threat.
“We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union, and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent, Trade Deficits, engendered by your Tariff, and Non-Tariff, Policies, and Trade Barriers,” Trump wrote in the letter to the EU. “Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”
“If for any reason you decide to raise your tariffs and retaliate, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 30 percent that we charge,” Trump wrote.
Timeline:
If Trump goes through with the tariffs, they would take effect on Aug. 1.
Why is Trump imposing new tariffs?
Dig deeper:
Trump is in the midst of an announcement blitz of new tariffs with allies and foes alike, a bedrock of his 2024 campaign that he said would set the foundation for reviving a U.S. economy that he claims has been ripped off by other nations for decades.
With the reciprocal tariffs, Trump is effectively blowing up the rules governing world trade. For decades, the United States and most other countries abided by tariff rates set through a series of complex negotiations known as the Uruguay round. Countries could set their own tariffs – but under the “most favored nation’’ approach, they couldn’t charge one country more than they charged another.
The Source: This report includes information from The Associated Press, President Trump’s Truth Social account and previous LiveNow from FOX reporting.
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