Trump: Will impose a 10% or 15% tariff on more than 150 countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that as the trade agenda moves forward, he will send letters to over 150 countries notifying them that their tariff rates may reach 10% or 15%. "We will send notifications to over 150 countries, specifying the tariff rates," Trump said at the White House on Wednesday. "For these countries, the tariff rates are the same," Trump added. He stated that the trade partners receiving these letters are "not major countries, and they don't do a lot of business." Trump also mentioned that the tariff rates "could be 10% or 15%, we have not decided yet." Recently, Trump has made a series of tariff demands, informing other economies that if they cannot negotiate better terms with the U.S., new tariffs will be effective on August 1. Alicia Garcia Herrero, Chief Asia Pacific Economist at Natixis, stated: "For most regions around the world, especially in Asia facing the highest tariffs, the announced tariff rates could be seen as good news, providing some certainty for smaller countries with tariff rates lower than the initial threat level." She also said that the tariff changes indicate that "Trump is realizing that excessively high tariffs can have a destructive impact." Although Trump and his advisors initially expressed a desire to reach multiple agreements, Trump has praised these tariff notification letters as "agreements" themselves and hinted that he is not interested in ongoing negotiations. However, he still leaves the door open for countries to reach agreements that could potentially lower tariffs. In an interview, Trump said: "We may reach an agreement with Europe. I'm not too concerned about it." He implied that the letter he sent to the European Union is an agreement. When asked about future tariffs on Canada, Trump said it is "too early to say." Previously, Trump announced that starting August 1, a 35% tariff will be imposed on goods from Canada in response to Canada's retaliatory tariffs. Additionally, reports suggest that India is seeking lower tariffs during trade negotiations with the U.S. compared to Indonesia and Vietnam, and Trump hinted that a "pretty good deal" will be reached. Trump announced on Tuesday that a 19% tariff will be imposed on Indonesia, down from the previously announced 32% in April. The tariff rate for Vietnam has been reduced to 20%.