Sandra Nwaokolo, Author at Tribune Online

U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday announced a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union and Mexico, setting an August 1 deadline for renegotiated trade deals to avert the new levies. The tariff threat, posted in letters to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Trump’s Truth Social account, marks a return to the hardline trade strategy that defined his previous administration and comes amid his renewed push for aggressive economic nationalism. Both the EU and Mexico swiftly condemned the move as unfair and economically disruptive but signalled readiness to continue negotiations before the deadline. The European bloc and Mexico rank among the United States’ top trading partners. Trump's letters, part of a wider blitz sent to 23 trading partners including Canada, Japan, and Brazil, outlined tariff rates ranging from 20% to 50%, including a specific 50% duty on copper. The new 30% tariff, he said, would be “separate from all sectoral tariffs,” which already include existing levies of 50% on steel and aluminum and 25% on automobile imports. “The European Union will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States, with no Tariff being charged to us, in an attempt to reduce the large Trade Deficit,” Trump wrote in his message to von der Leyen, signaling that a zero-tariff arrangement could be the price of avoiding the new penalties. The EU warned that the proposed tariffs could cripple transatlantic supply chains. “They would disrupt essential transatlantic supply chains, to the detriment of businesses, consumers and patients on both sides of the Atlantic,” von der Leyen said, adding that the bloc is prepared to take “proportionate countermeasures if required.” Mexico’s economy ministry, reacting to the announcement, described the tariff as “unfair treatment” and said it had voiced its objection during a recent bilateral meeting with U.S. officials. Trump, however, insisted Mexico had not done enough to curb drug trafficking, writing, “Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground.” While Mexico faces a 30% tariff, Canada has been slapped with a higher 35% rate, despite fentanyl seizure data showing larger volumes trafficked through Mexico. The sweeping tariff strategy has already generated over $100 billion in customs duties revenue for the U.S. Treasury this fiscal year, according to new data released Friday. But it has also rattled traditional alliances. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba recently hinted at reducing his country's reliance on U.S. security guarantees, while Canada and some European countries are reassessing their defense procurement strategies, exploring non-U.S. alternatives. The EU had initially pursued a full-scale trade pact with Washington, but internal divisions—particularly between Germany and France—have slowed progress. Germany is pushing for a rapid deal to shield its exports, while France cautions against yielding to a U.S.-dominated agreement. ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE