Ahead of Trump’s Arbitrary Deadlines for “Reciprocal” Tariffs, Don’t Fall for His Hype
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Friday, President Trump said his administration will be sending letters to a number of countries this week announcing “tariff levels and/or deals” that would take effect August 1, sparking confusion about his previously-announced deadline of July 9 for reimposing the delayed “reciprocal tariffs” on dozens of countries.
Put aside the expected self-congratulatory Truth Social posts and fan-girling from his sycophants, and prepare for the scenarios we’re likely to see as Trump faces down his made-up, shifting deadlines:
- Lots of hype with little substance: If deals are announced, they are likely to be “concepts of a plan” with “details to follow” – like what has been announced so far with UK and Vietnam – allowing Trump to save face and declare victory, even though very little has actually been agreed. Meanwhile, secretive negotiations will continue without appropriate public or congressional oversight.
- Corporate giveaways: During his April 2 “reciprocal tariffs” announcement, Trump waved around the annual National Trade Estimates report, which details the hit list of other countries’ policies that large U.S. corporations don’t like. The Trump team has made clear that this is a blueprint for the “non-tariff barriers” they seek to eliminate, even though many are public interest laws. The Trump team will continue to bully countries, like he did with Canada on its digital services tax. As the deadline approaches, additional countries may feel pressured to cave to these demands for corporate tax cuts, deregulation of Big Tech, and expanded monopolies for Big Pharma – either explicitly or in under-the-table agreements.
- Deadlines extended: Trump may continue to punt the deadlines for some countries, claiming progress toward deals – allowing him to continue to extract sweetheart deals for himself and his cronies. Potentially endless extensions give Trump more time to push his corporate deregulatory agenda, as well as to accept personal “gifts” from countries looking to avoid tariffs, like luxury jets, rubber-stamped development projects, and purchases of his meme coin.
What’s not on the list? Meaningful reforms that fix our global trading system and make life better for everyday people.
Melinda St. Louis, Global Trade Watch Director at Public Citizen, is available for comment.