Trump Says No Extension to the Aug. 1 Tariff Deadline

　　TMTPOST -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday highlighted his new August 1 deadline for reciprocal tariffs.

　　Credit：China Central Television

　　 In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the letters either he has already sent or will send to U.S. trading partners dictate reciprocal tariffs would come into effect on August 1, namely, the new deadline for these tariffs. “As per letters sent to various countries yesterday, in addition to letters that will be sent today, tomorrow, and for the next short period of time, TARIFFS WILL START BEING PAID ON AUGUST 1, 2025,” Trump posted.

　　Trump then suggested he will not extend the tariff deadline any more. “There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change. In other words, all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1, 2025 - No extensions will be granted,” the president wrote.

　　Trump’s remarks came hours after he ordered to delay the previous deadline by more than three weeks and indicated some flexibility of the deadline in case of enough concessions that trading partners will offer during negotiations.

　　Trump at Monday afternoon signed an executive order, delaying the tariff deadline on Wednesday to August 1. “I have determined, based on additional information and recommendations from various senior officials, including information on the status of discussions with trading partners, that it is necessary and appropriate to extend the suspension effectuated by Executive Order 14266 until 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on August 1, 2025,” Trump said in the order released by the White House.

　　The executive order effectively extended the July 9 deadline by more than three weeks. Trump said in a social media post on April 9 that he has authorized a 90-day pause and “a substantially lowered reciprocal tariff” of 10% during this period, both effective immediately. The decision was made as more than 75 countries have called the U.S. to negotiate a solution to trade, trade barriers, tariffs, currency manipulation, and non-monetary tariffs, and these countries have not retaliated against the U.S., Trump wrote.

　　Trump later Monday at the White House said the new August 1 deadline is not exactly set in stone, calling the deadline “firm but not 100% firm.” “If they [countries] call up and they, say, would like to do something a different way, we’re going to be open to that,” he told reporters.

　　Trump on Monday posted letters dictating tariffs on 14 countries, ranging from 25% to 40%. The U.S. will impose these new tariffs on all imports from Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia,Tunisia, South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, starting on August 1, separating from all existing sectoral tariffs, and goods transshipped to evade a higher tariff will be subject to that higher tariff.

　　Prior to Trump’s announcement, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday said the Trump administration would make several announcement about trade in the next 48 hours. Trump later that day said the U.S. is “close to making a deal with India”, then added: “Others we’ve met with, and we don’t think we’re going to to be able to make a deal, so we just send them a letter.”