Trump announces steep tariffs on 14 countries starting Aug. 1

President Donald Trump d screenshots of signed form letters dictating new tariff rates to the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos, Myanmar, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia and Thailand

Trump signed an executive order to delay the date when his "recical" tariffs are set to snap back higher

Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesAt least 14 countries' imports are set to face steep blanket tariffs starting Aug. 1, President Donald Trump revealed Monday

The president, in a series of social media posts, d screenshots of form letters dictating new tariff rates to the leaders of Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, South Africa, Laos and Myanmar

Later in the day, he d another set of seven letters, to the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Serbia, Cambodia and Thailand

Goods imported to the U

From Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan and Tunisia are now set to face 25% tariffs, according to the letters Trump posted

Bangladesh and Serbia are both at 35%, while Cambodia and Thailand are set for 36% tariff rates, the president's letters said

Imports from Laos and Myanmar will face a 40% duty, according to the letters Trump posted on Truth Social showed

The letters Trump signed add that the U

Will "perhaps" consider adjusting the new tariff levels, "depending on our relationship with your Country. "The letters are the first to be sent before Wednesday, the day his so-called recical tariffs on dozens of countries were scheduled to snap back to the higher levels he had announced in early April

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said even more letters will be sent out in the coming days

Later Monday afternoon, Trump signed an executive order delaying the Wednesday tariff deadline until Aug

The order says Trump made that decision "based on additional information and recommendations from various senior officials

Financial closed down on Monday

For most of the countries, the new U

Tariff rates hew fairly closely to what they had faced after Trump announced his "liberation day" tariffs on April 2

For instance, under those initial rates, U

That pause was set to expire Wednesday, before Leavitt announced that Trump would extend it by more than three weeks

Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsPresident Donald Trump's letter to the prime minister of Japan

Donald Trump via Truth SocialZoom In IconArrows pointing outwardsPresident Donald Trump's letter to the president of the Republic of Korea

Donald Trump via Truth SocialAll of the letters say that the blanket tariff rates are separate from additional sector-specific duties on key duct

The letters also say, "Goods transshipped to evade a higher Tariff will be subject to that higher Tariff. " Transshipping in this case appears to refer to the practice of transferring goods to an interim country prior to their final shipment to the U. , in order to skirt tariffs

The form letters assert that the new tariff rates are necessary in order to correct for persistent U

Trade deficits with the 14 countries

Trump, an avowed tariff fan and a skeptic of free trade deals, regularly points to those deficits as evidence that the U

Is being taken advantage of by its trade partners

Experts have criticized the view that trade deficits are inherently bad and questioned whether the U

Can or should seek to close them

Not all of the countries targeted Monday have large trade surpluses with the U

In 2024 had a $68. 5 billion goods deficit with Japan and a $66 billion goods deficit with South Korea, its deficit with Myanmar was $579. 3 million, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative

Is a major buyer of cars, machinery and electronics from Japan and South Korea

Kazakhstan exports crude oil and metal alloys to the U. , Malaysia sells America electronic components, and South Africa largely sends precious metals

Imports from Laos include optical fibers, glasses and clothing, while Myanmar's largest exports category is mattresses and bedding

Monday's letters preemptively warn the 14 countries not to respond to the new U

Tariffs by imposing retaliatory duties on their own imports of American goods. "If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge," the letters say

If the countries "eliminate" their "Tariff, and Non Tariff, Policies and Trade Barriers," then the U. "will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter," according to the letters. "These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country," the letters say. "You will never be disappointed with The United States of America. "After Trump imposed his three-month recical tariff pause in April, his administration claimed that it could strike as many as 90 deals in 90 days

But as that pause was set to expire, the U

Has announced only broad frameworks with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, as well as a preliminary agreement with China

Trump said the Vietnam deal puts a 20% tariff on the country's imports to the U

And a 40% "transshipping" duty, while the U

Would get tariff-free access to Vietnam's

Trump's recical tariffs were struck down in late May by a federal district court, which ruled that he did not have the legal authority to impose the sweeping duties under the emergency-powers law he had cited at the time

The Trump administration appealed to the federal circuit, which allowed the tariffs to remain in effect while it reviews the lower court's decision. — CNBC's Nick Wells and Gabriel Cortes contributed to this report.