
A look at the countries that received Trump’s tariff letters
U.S. President Donald Trump has sent letters to Canada and a handful of other countries this week outlining higher tariffs they’ll face if they don’t make trade deals with the U.S. by Aug. 1.
Some of these import taxes mirror the same, so-called “reciprocal” rates Trump unveiled against dozens of trading partners in April — the bulk of which were later postponed just hours after taking effect. But many levies that Trump is now pledging to impose next month are higher or lower than those previously announced amounts, signalling some sway in recent negotiations.
Canada didn’t receive a letter in April, but is still facing a series of sectoral tariffs on goods, such as steel and aluminum. On Thursday, Trump announced Canada would be hit with a 35 per cent tariff starting Aug. 1.
Trump has warned more than 20 nations this week, including major trading partners like South Korea and Japan, that steeper tariffs will be imposed on them starting Aug. 1. Nearly all of these letters took the same general tone with the exception of Brazil — which Trump has singled out in an apparent personal grudge over the trial of former president Jair Bolsonaro, charged with trying to overturn his 2022 election loss.