President Donald Trump recently announced plans to impose a broad import tariff of between 15 and 20% on goods from countries without formal trade agreements with the United States.
Speaking in Turnberry, Scotland, alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump said, “For the world, I would say it’ll be somewhere in the 15% to 20% range … I just want to be nice.” He added, “I would say in the range of 15% to 20% probably one of those two numbers.”
This proposed tariff is a notable increase from the 10% baseline announced earlier this year, reflecting the administration’s frustration with negotiating numerous individual deals.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick had previously suggested that smaller countries, such as those in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, might receive a lower 10% tariff, but Trump’s latest remarks suggest a uniform higher rate will apply.
He explained, “We’re going to be setting a tariff for essentially the rest of the world, and that’s what they’re going to pay if they want to do business in the United States, because you can’t sit down and make 200 deals.”
The announcement comes just days before the August 1 deadline for countries to secure trade agreements with the U.S. Despite the deadline, officials have indicated a preference for enforcing tariffs rather than brokering more deals.
The new tariff range aligns with recent agreements, including a 15% tariff set on Japanese and most European imports. However, some countries like Brazil and Laos face much higher tariffs of 40 and 50% respectively, showing targeted trade policies.
Trade experts warn that while a uniform tariff simplifies administration and strengthens the U.S. negotiating position, it risks retaliatory measures and inflationary effects for American consumers.