Trump’s New Tariffs: What’s Changing and Who is Affected

The U.S. will roll out a fresh set of import duties on a wide range of goods from key trading partners starting August 1. 

While some products face moderate levies, others, like copper-based items, will carry steep 50 percent tariffs. South Korea secured a relatively mild deal, but countries such as Brazil and India will see heavy new charges.

Here are Trump’s new tariffs:

South Korea

President Trump announced a new trade agreement with South Korea that places a 15 percent tariff on Korean exports to the United States. In exchange, South Korea has pledged to invest $350 billion in the U.S. economy and buy at least $100 billion in American energy products, including liquefied natural gas.

The 15 percent rate replaces a previously threatened 25 percent tariff and matches the duties the U.S. imposes on Japanese and EU imports. Tariffs on Korean cars will also remain at 15 percent.

Canada

Tensions flared after Canada’s Prime Minister signalled support for Palestinian statehood at the upcoming UN General Assembly. President Trump threatened on social media to raise Canadian tariffs to 35 percent if no trade deal was in place by August 1. 

He linked Canada’s political stance on Palestine directly to U.S. trade negotiations, warning that backing statehood for Palestine would “make it very hard” to strike a favourable agreement.

Brazil

In a move driven by politics, the U.S. imposed a 50 percent tariff on Brazilian goods. This action coincided with sanctions against the judge overseeing the trial of Jair Bolsonaro, whom Trump has publicly defended. 

The high tariff is explicitly intended as economic punishment for Brazil’s domestic legal proceedings against the former president.

India

Imports from India will now face a 25 percent tariff, supplemented by an additional unspecified “penalty” tied to India’s ongoing purchases of Russian military equipment and energy. 

President Trump criticised India’s trade barriers and their economic ties with Russia, declaring on social media that U.S. businesses have done “very little business” there and labelling Indian tariffs among the world’s highest. 

These new duties join a broader wave of tariff hikes, some as high as 50 percent, set to begin the same day.

European

Most EU exports to the U.S. will now incur a 15 percent tariff,higher than pre-Trump levels but below the 30 percent he once threatened. Under the recent framework, certain agricultural goods will be exempt, though details remain under discussion. 

European leaders, including President Emmanuel Macron, have publicly called for a tougher stance in future negotiations, arguing that the EU must project greater strength to secure a fair deal.