Trump signs executive order raising tariffs on dozens of countries

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday evening, July 31, imposing higher tariffs on dozens of countries around the world with which the United States estimates it has a more or less significant trade deficit. Their implementation, initially announced for August 1, has been postponed until August 7, according to a senior official. This delay is supposed to allow customs time to organize.

All the countries that failed to reach an agreement with Washington are seeing tariffs applied to their products ranging from 10% to 41%, for Syria. Generally speaking, most of the countries cited are subject to 15% tariffs, with a few states facing higher rates, such as South Africa at 30%, Serbia at 35%, and Switzerland at 39%. These surcharges are causing widespread concern among companies exporting to the United States. "We don't know how severe the impact will be, but it won't be positive, that's for sure," predicts Laubscher Coetzee, a South African ostrich farmer whose leather is used to make cowboy boots for the most prestigious brands in Texas.

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At least one country has escaped a tariff increase on August 7: Donald Trump announced Thursday that he has extended the customs duties currently imposed on Mexico for 90 days, which amounts to maintaining them at 25% on products entering the United States outside the North American Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA).

On the other hand, there is no relaxation in sight with Canada, which on the contrary sees customs duties applied to its products increase from 25% to 35%, a tax which also only concerns products not transiting under the CUSMA. "Canada has not been able to cooperate in order to reduce the flow of fentanyl and other drugs" entering the United States, the White House regretted in a document, to justify this decision, "and it has taken retaliatory measures against the United States."

The Trump administration has been particularly tough on certain countries. Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday imposing a 50% customs surcharge on Brazil, with the exception of certain products. This surcharge is in retaliation for the prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro, his far-right ally, accused of attempting a coup after his defeat in the 2022 election.

India will face a 25% tax on its products, plus a penalty , because it buys Russian oil.

President Trump has touted the benefits of the agreements already reached, which boost government revenues for a heavily indebted economy. However, the impact of the tariffs continues to worry economists, who see them weighing on inflation, which rose to 2.6% in June, and on US growth. Apple reported Thursday that the tariffs will result in an additional cost of €1.1 billion for the company in the current quarter.

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Coincidentally, a federal appeals court in Washington began hearing an appeal Thursday to determine whether Donald Trump exceeded his constitutional powers by imposing these surcharges without congressional approval. This concerns nearly universal tariffs, meaning those not imposed on a specific sector such as automobiles or steel. The lawyer for the plaintiffs, small businesses, and a dozen US states, notably denounced "an unprecedented power grab by a president in 200 years," while most of the appeals court judges expressed skepticism about the government's arguments. The White House has already promised to appeal to the Supreme Court if the ruling goes against it.