U.S. President Donald Trump said on the 30th that tariffs will be applied to all countries, not just some, ahead of the announcement of reciprocal tariffs on the 2nd of next month (local time).
According to the Reuters news agency, President Trump told reporters on his presidential plane that "(tariffs) will start with all countries" and stated, "Essentially all the countries we are mentioning."
Earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported that the general tariff rate would be 20% and that it would apply to trade partners worldwide. Previously, Treasury Secretary Scott Vessen estimated a tariff of about 15% on the world's largest trading partners, nicknamed the "Dirty 15," but this would be broader and have a higher rate.
The key point of recent discussions was whether President Trump would impose individualized tariffs on trade partners, as he indicated, that is, reciprocal tariffs, or a universal tariff that would affect all countries trading with the United States.
However, President Trump's side leaned toward imposing a universal tariff, and the tariff rate is likely to be 20%, contrary to his indications, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to The Wall Street Journal, this is interpreted as a measure to prevent a widening government budget deficit as a result of tax cuts reducing tax revenue.