Before his five-day visit to Scotland, U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to finalize several trade deals by August 1. He also stated that the U.S. would be sending customs tariff notification letters to approximately 200 countries and regions in the coming days, with tariff rates potentially set at 10% or 15%. There is growing curiosity over whether Taiwan is included in this list.
Trump’s remarks indicate that the U.S. is nearing the final stage of trade negotiations with many countries. If no agreements are reached, the Washington administration is expected to implement tariffs directly.
Critical Process with the EU and Canada
With only one week left in negotiations with the European Union, it is anticipated that the EU may agree to a 15% customs deal, similar to the one with Japan. However, in anticipation of Trump possibly changing his mind at the last moment, the EU has prepared a retaliation list worth approximately €100 billion. Trump evaluated the likelihood of a deal as "50/50, or even a bit less."
Regarding Canada, Trump said, “Cooperation isn’t going well. It seems like Canada only wants to impose tariffs rather than engage in real negotiations.” This has signaled the potential for unilateral customs decisions, raising concerns of a new tension in the North American free trade framework.
New Conditions on Steel and Aluminum
In U.S.–UK trade talks, two key issues have emerged: the digital services tax and rules of origin for steel and aluminum imports. The Trump administration wants the UK to scrap its digital services tax. Additionally, the U.S. is demanding that the UK guarantee the steel it imports is truly produced domestically. This measure is intended to prevent Chinese products from entering the supply chain through altered origin labeling.
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