Donald Trump, the President of the United States, is reportedly urging his senior aides to draft a more aggressive tariff policy ahead of the announcement of 'reciprocal tariffs,' which will be set considering tariffs and non-tariff barriers from various countries on Dec. 2 (local time), according to the Washington Post (WP) on the 29th.
Following Trump's directive, aides are reportedly pondering the exact scope of the imports that may be subject to the reciprocal tariff announcement, WP noted.
The most likely option related to the scope of the reciprocal tariffs is the 'Dirty 15,' mentioned recently by Treasury Secretary Scott Vilsack, the newspaper projected.
It is expected that the countries designated as the 'Dirty 15,' which represent the 15% of trading partners with a significant trade surplus against the U.S., will be the main targets of the reciprocal tariffs.
While it has not been confirmed which countries will be included in the 'Dirty 15,' there is a considerable possibility that South Korea, which ranked 7th to 8th in trade deficit with the U.S. last year, following China, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland, Germany, and Japan, could be included.
Trump has already implemented a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum since Dec. 12, and he plans to enforce a 25% tariff on automobiles and automotive parts starting on Jan. 3. Recently, he reportedly revived the idea of a 'universal tariff,' according to WP.
Trump's perception is that a 'universal tariff,' which imposes a uniform tariff rate on all imports, could fill the gaps in tariff-related 'exceptions.'