US President Trump To Send First Batch Of Tariff Letters Today Amid Warning To BRICS Nations; New Tariffs From August 1

US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that US tariffs on imports will surge to high levels as stated in April if the partner countries fail to seal a trade deal. He has also warned the BRICS nations of retaliatory measures for anti-US policies.

The United States' trade war is back after a brief thaw. President Donald Trump is now sending tariff letters to 15 countries as part of the first batch, while also warning the BRICS nations of anti-US policies. Trump announced on Sunday that US tariffs on imports will surge to high levels as stated in April if the partner countries fail to seal a trade deal. 

The country-specific new tariffs are scheduled to take effect from August 1. This comes as a temporary reprieve as trade talks intensified with several countries, including India. Earlier, the US tariffs were set to take effect from July 9. The tariff reprieve was announced by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. He noted that President Trump was 'setting the rates and the deals right now'.

Talking to reporters, Trump said while the first batch of tariff letters are being released on Monday, more are expected to follow on Tuesday.

In April, Trump announced a base tariff of 10 per cent on most of America’s trading partners and thereafter additional duties ranging up to 50 per cent. The US has announced trade deals with the United Kingdom and Vietnam so far, with some more trade deals apparently in the pipeline.

As the BRICS leaders met and strengthened their trade ties, President Trump announced that an additional 10 per cent tariff will be imposed on countries that 'align themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS'. Trump has been opposed to several of BRICS collaborations including the idea of BRICS currency to replace dollar. Trump's decision to levy additional tariff came after the BRICS leaders expressed 'grave concern' about the 'indiscriminate rise in tariffs'.

Trump made the declaration on his social media platform, Truth Social, saying, “Any Country aligning themselves with the Anti-American policies of BRICS, will be charged an ADDITIONAL 10% Tariff. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

The BRICS alliance now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.