
President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he’s levying tariffs of 30% against the European Union and Mexico starting August 1.
Trump announced the planned tariffs on two of the United States’ biggest trade partners in letters posted to his social media account. They are part of an announcement blitz by Trump 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.
In his letter to Mexico’s leader, Trump acknowledged that the country has been helpful in stemming the flow of undocumented migrants and fentanyl into the United States. But he said the country has not done enough to stop North America from turning into a “Narco-Trafficking Playground.”
“Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,” Trump added.
Trump in his letter to the European Union said that the U.S. trade deficit was 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.”
The Mexico tariff, if it goes into effect, could replace the 25% tariffs on Mexican goods that do not comply with the existing U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement.
Trump’s letter did not address if USMCA-compliant goods would still be exempt from the Mexico tariffs after Aug. 1, as the White House said would be the case with Canada. Trump sent a letter to Canada earlier this week threatening a 35% tariff hike.
___
Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
3 comments
Michael K
July 12, 2025 at 11:35 am
More market manipulation. More chaos. More insanity. Trump’s word means nothing.
The only real threat to our national security is this president and his band of incompetent talking heads.
TC
July 12, 2025 at 12:26 pm
Trump says he’s upset that Putin is not negotiating a ceasefire in Ukraine, so he whacks our allies with tariff threats to show what a tough guy he is. I’ll bet that makes Putin real scared.
Ocean Joe
July 12, 2025 at 12:41 pm
Putin invaded Ukraine when Joe and the auto pen were in the White House. Putin like everyone else had no respect for the senile old man