World Leaders React To Trump’s Renewed Tariff Threats—‘Don’t Want An Emperor’

World Leaders React To Trump’s Renewed Tariff Threats—‘Don’t Want An Emperor’BySiladitya Ray, Forbes Staff

Siladitya Ray is a New Delhi-based Forbes news team reporter

AuthorJul 08, 2025, 05:03am EDTJul 08, 2025, 05:31am EDTToplineJapanese and South Korean officials on Tuesday continued to push for lowered tariffs from President Donald Trump’s administration, while China and Brazil criticized Trump’s threats to raise tariffs on the BRICS bloc of nations, as the president said his August 1 deadline for implementing the levies was not firm

President Donald Trump has said his August 1 deadline for locking tariff deals is not 100%

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to Trump’s “unilateral” 30% tariffs on his country, saying the supposed recical tariff rate was “not an accurate representation of available trade data. ”In response to a 32% tariff levied on it, Indonesia said its top negotiator, Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto, will arrive in Washington on Tuesday to meet his U

Counterparts, as there was “still room to respond as conveyed by the US government. ”Malaysian officials stated that they will continue to engage in “good faith” discussions with their U

Counterparts and work towards a “balanced, mutually beneficial” agreement

Officials from Thailand—which was hit with a 36% rate—struck a more combative tone and said the U

Has not considered its posal and added: “We will not stop, we will continue to fight…so that Thailand will have the best offer possible. ”How Have Others Reacted To Trump’s New Tariff Threats

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva pushed back against Trump’s threat to impose a 100% tariff on those who align themselves with the BRICS bloc of nations—a group which Trump said was “anti-American. ” Lula, who is hosting the annual BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, addressed Trump’s threat at the end of the event, saying: “The world has changed

We don't want an emperor. ” The Brazilian leader then def the existence of BRICS, saying it is made up of a “set of countries that want to find another way of organizing the world. ” Earlier on Monday, Lula said Trump’s tariff threats were very “irresponsible. ” The Kremlin’s top spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, also refuted Trump’s “anti-American” label, saying the BRICS group “has never been, and will never be, aimed against any third parties. ” However, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Washington must face the reality of the U

Dollar’s diminished global role but blamed it on the country’s “previous Democratic leadership” saying they began to “grossly abuse” the U

Currency’s position in the global financial system—ly a reference to the various sanctions imposed on Russia

What Has Trump Said His New August 1 Deadline

During his meeting with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, Trump told reporters that his ext August 1 deadline for completing tariff negotiations was “not 100% firm. ” He said, “If they call up and they say ‘we’d to do something a different way,’ we’re going to be open to that

But essentially that’s the way it is right now. ” Trump added he is willing to adjust the tariff rates if countries offer better concessions: “We’re not going to be unfair. ”Crucial Quoteing on the state of the U

Dollar in global trade, Lavrov said: “Trump directly accused Biden and his administration of undermining the role of the dollar for many years as early as during preparation for his inauguration

Confidential information with Forbes

Editorial StandardsRes & PermissionsLOADING PLAYER.