Tag: Trump Tariff

Trump Hikes US Global Tariff Rate To 15%

President Donald Trump raised the global duty on imports into the United States to 15 percent on Saturday, doubling down on his promise to maintain his aggressive tariff policy a day after the Supreme Court ruled much of it illegal.

Trump said on his Truth Social platform that after a thorough review of Friday’s “extraordinarily anti-American decision” by the court to rein in his tariff program, the administration was hiking the import levies “to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level.”

The US leader had announced an initial 10 percent duty in the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling.

And Trump added that over the next few months, his administration would seek further alternative ways to impose “legally permissible” tariffs.

Saturday’s announcement is the latest in a careening process that has seen a multitude of tariff levels for countries sending goods into the United States set and then altered or revoked by Trump’s team over the past year.

It also appears on its face to be an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s latest ruling, which offered perhaps the firmest rebuke yet of the Republican leader’s sweeping and often arbitrary duties, his signature international trade policy.

The new duty by law is only temporary — allowable for 150 days. According to a White House fact sheet, exemptions remain for sectors that are under separate probes, including pharma, and goods entering the US under the US-Mexico-Canada agreement.

Trump spent much of the past year imposing various rates to cajole and punish countries, both friend and foe.

On Friday, the White House said US trading partners that reached separate tariff deals with Trump’s administration would also face the new global tariff.

The conservative-majority high court ruled six to three on Friday that a 1977 law Trump has relied on to slap sudden rates on individual countries, upending global trade, “does not authorize the President to impose tariffs.”

Trump, who had nominated two of the justices who repudiated him, responded furiously, alleging without evidence that the court was influenced by foreign interests.

“I’m ashamed of certain members of the court, absolutely ashamed, for not having the courage to do what’s right for our country,” Trump told reporters.

February 21, 2026
Kenya Hails Trump’s Tariff Exemption, Pledges Deeper Trade Ties With the US

Kenya has lauded the United States for exempting it from new sweeping tariff hikes announced by President Donald Trump, with Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui reaffirming Nairobi’s commitment to strengthening bilateral trade ties.

In a press release issued on Friday, August 1, 2025, the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry confirmed that Kenyan exports to the U.S. will continue to enjoy a favourable 10 per cent tariff—the lowest rate among nations with similar export profiles.

“Kenyan exports to the U.S. continue to enjoy the 10 per cent tariff, the lowest rate among nations with comparable export interests,” Trade Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui stated.

The statement followed Trump’s signing of an executive order on Thursday, July 31, 2025, introducing reciprocal import tariffs ranging from 10 per cent to 41 per cent on goods from 70 countries.

The tariffs are set to take effect in seven days and will impact key trading nations including the United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, India, Israel, and several African countries.

However, Kenya was spared, alongside a few others, maintaining its current preferential tariff treatment under U.S. trade frameworks.

Kinyanjui welcomed the exemption and noted the importance of continued engagement between Nairobi and Washington.

“Kenya remains committed to deepening its longstanding trade and investment relationship with the U.S.,” he said. “The United States continues to be a key strategic partner for Kenya across various sectors, including commodity exports, digital trade, tourism, and regional security cooperation.”

He added that Kenya would work closely with U.S. authorities to preserve and enhance the existing trade framework.

“We will continue to engage constructively with U.S. authorities to safeguard and grow the historical trade ties that have benefited both our countries.”

Kenya spared tariff hikes

According to the executive order, countries not explicitly listed, such as Kenya, will be subject to the baseline 10 per cent import duty, consistent with the terms of Executive Order 14257.

“Goods of any foreign trading partner that is not listed in this order will be subject to a rate of duty of 10 per cent according to the terms of Executive Order 14257, as amended, unless otherwise expressly provided,” the order reads.

Other African nations were not as fortunate. South Africa and Algeria were hit with 30 per cent tariffs, while Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Botswana, Angola, and others saw 15 per cent duties imposed. Uganda was the only East African country affected in the new round, also facing a 15 per cent tariff on exports to the U.S.

The Ministry expressed optimism that Kenya’s trade relations with the U.S. would continue to flourish amid shifting global dynamics, underlining the country’s strategic value in the region and its consistent trade cooperation with Washington.

August 1, 2025
Trump’s Renewed Trade Threats Take Aim at European Union, Apple

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened once again on Friday to ramp up his trade war, recommending a 50% tariff on European Union goods starting June 1 and warning Apple he may impose a 25% tariff on any iPhones manufactured outside the U.S.

The twin threats, delivered via social media, roiled global markets after weeks of de-escalation had provided some reprieve. The S&P 500 fell 0.9% in early trading, the Nasdaq fell 1.5%, and European shares fell 1.1%.

Trump’s latest broadside against the EU stemmed from his frustration at the lack of progress in trade talks with the bloc. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Friday that the 50% threat will hopefully “light a fire under the EU,” adding that other countries have been negotiating with Washington in good faith.

“The European Union, which was formed for the primary purpose of taking advantage of the United States on TRADE, has been very difficult to deal with,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site. “Our discussions with them are going nowhere!”

The European Commission on Friday declined to comment on the new threat, saying it would wait for a phone call between EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and his U.S. counterpart Jamieson Greer scheduled for Friday.

Envoys from the 27 EU countries are also due to meet on trade in Brussels later in the day.

Trump’s stop-and-start global trade war has rattled markets, sapped U.S. consumer and business confidence and raised investor fears of inflationary pressures and a global economic downturn.

In response to falling markets, the White House paused most of the punishing tariffs that Trump announced in early April against nearly every country in the world, leaving in place a 10% baseline tax on most imports. He also cut a massive 145% tax on Chinese goods to 30%.

“What is somewhat of a surprise is the fact that the EU will now face a considerably higher tariff rate than China, an almost unthinkable scenario just a matter of weeks ago,” said Lindsay James, investment strategist at Quilter.

“It is highlighting that much of this policy is designed to be punitive, rather than having any economic credibility to it.”

A 50% levy on EU imports could raise consumer prices on everything from German cars to Italian olive oil.

EU’s total exports to the United States last year totaled about 500 billion euros, led by Germany (161 billion euros), Ireland (72 billion euros) and Italy (65 billion euros). Pharmaceuticals, cars and auto parts, chemicals and aircraft were among the largest exports, according to EU data.

The White House has been in trade negotiations with numerous countries, but progress has been unsteady. Finance leaders from the Group of Seven industrialized democracies tried to downplay disputes over the tariffs earlier in the week at a forum in the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

“The EU is one of Trump’s least favorite regions, and he does not seem to have good relations with its leaders, which increases the chance of a prolonged trade war between the two,” said Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB.

Shares in Germany’s carmakers and luxury companies, some of the most exposed to tariffs, fell. Porsche, Mercedes and BMW were down between 2% and 4.5% at 1320 GMT. Sunglasses company EssilorLuxottica was 5.5% lower.

Volvo Cars CEO Hakan Samuelsson told Reuters on Friday that customers would have to pay a large part of tariff-related cost increases, and that it could become impossible to import the smallest cars in the company’s lineup to the United States.

But he remained hopeful that Europe and the United States will soon come to an agreement.

“I believe there will be a deal soon. It could not be in the interest of Europe or the U.S. to shut down trade between them,” Samuelsson said.

TARGETING APPLE

“I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Friday, referring to the Apple CEO.

“If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.”

Trump did not give a timeframe for any Apple tariffs.

Shares of Apple fell 2.3% in early trading. More than 60 million phones are sold in the United States annually, but the country has no smartphone manufacturing.

Any effort to impose a tariff on Apple alone could face legal hurdles, according to experts.

“There’s no clear legal authority that permits company specific tariffs, but the Trump administration may try to shoehorn it under its emergency power authorities,” said Sally Stewart Liang, a partner at Akin Gump in Washington.

There are other ways to put company-specific tariffs in place, but they’re all subject to long investigations, such as those on anti-dumping, according to Liang.

Apple declined to comment on Trump’s threat.

In response to market upheaval, the White House had granted exclusions from steep tariffs on smartphones and some other electronics imported largely from China, a break for Apple and other tech firms that rely on imported products.

Apple is speeding up plans to make most of its iPhones sold in the United States at factories in India by the end of 2026 to navigate potentially higher tariffs in China, its main manufacturing base, a source told Reuters.

But Trump and others, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, have suggested Apple could make iPhones in the United States. In February, Apple said it will spend $500 billion over four years to expand hiring and facilities in nine American states, but it did not say the investment would go towards bringing iPhone manufacturing to the U.S.

“It is hard to imagine that Apple can be fully compliant with this request from the president in the next 3-5 years,” D.A. Davidson & Co analyst Gil Luria said.

May 23, 2025
Market Panic Deepens as Trump Scolds China

US President Donald Trump lashed out at China on Monday as a stock market rout deepened after Beijing retaliated against his global tariffs offensive.

European equities were deep in the red but Asia fared worse, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index crashing 13.2 percent, its biggest drop since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 falling an eye-watering 7.8 percent.

A 10-percent “baseline” tariff on imports from around the world took effect on Saturday but a slew of countries will be hit by higher duties from Wednesday, with levies of 34 percent for Chinese goods and 20 percent for EU products.

While other countries weigh their options, Beijing announced last week its 34-percent tariff on US goods, which will come into effect on Thursday.

Trump chastised Beijing early Monday for not heeding “my warning for abusing countries not to retaliate” as he called China “the biggest abuser of them all” on tariffs.

Chinese vice commerce minister, Ling Ji, said the tit-for-tat duties “are aimed at bringing the United States back onto the right track of the multilateral trade system.”

“The root cause of the tariff issue lies in the United States,” Ling told representatives of US companies on Sunday, according to his ministry.

EU trade ministers gathered in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss the bloc’s own response, with Germany and France having advocated a tax targeting US tech giant.

“We must not exclude any option on goods, on services,” said French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin.

The 27-nation bloc should “open the European toolbox, which is very comprehensive and can also be extremely aggressive,” he said.

German Economy Minister Robert Habeck likewise said Europe should be prepared to use its trade “bazooka” — a new anti-coercion mechanism allowing it to punish any country using economic threats to exert pressure on the EU.

But signs of divergence already emerged, with Ireland, whose low corporate tax rate has attracted US tech and pharmaceutical companies, warning against that course of action.

Targeting services “would be an extraordinary escalation at a time when we must be working for de-escalation,” said Irish Trade Minister Simon Harris.

Recession fears

Trump on Sunday doubled down on his demand to slash deficits with trading partners, saying he would not cut any deals unless that was resolved.

“Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” said Trump, whose administration has shrugged off the market panic.

He told reporters aboard Air Force One that world leaders were “dying to make a deal.”

Trillions of dollars have been wiped off stocks worldwide since Trump announced the tariffs last week, and the losses deepened on Monday, with US markets expected to open deep in the red.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned the tariffs “will likely increase inflation” in a letter to shareholders Monday.

“Whether or not the menu of tariffs causes a recession remains in question, but it will slow down growth,” he said.

Taipei recorded its heaviest loss on record as it sank 9.7 percent.

The Stoxx Europe 600 index was down five percent in early afternoon deals, with more than 1.5 trillion euros of market capitalization going up in smoke over just a few days.

The main US oil contract dropped below $60 a barrel for the first time since April 2021 on worries of a global recession.

“The market’s telling you in plain language: global demand is vanishing, and a global recession is on the cards and coming on fast,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.

Status quo ‘gone’

US officials said more than 50 countries have reached out to Trump to negotiate.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose country faces a 24-percent levy, said Tokyo would present Trump with a “package” of measures to win relief from US tariffs ahead of a mooted call between the leaders.

Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel — hit with 17 percent tariffs, despite being one of Washington’s closest allies — was due on Monday to become the first leader to meet Trump since last week’s announcement.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned in a newspaper op-ed that “the world as we knew it has gone”, saying the status quo would increasingly hinge on “deals and alliances.”

Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse with a big trade surplus with the United States, has already reached out and requested a delay of at least 45 days to thumping 46-percent tariffs.

(AFP)

April 7, 2025
Anti-Trump Protests in Cities Across US Declare ‘Hands Off’

BBC— Crowds of protesters have amassed in cities across the US to denounce President Trump, in the largest nationwide show of opposition since the president took office in January.

The “Hands Off” protest planners aimed to hold rallies in 1,200 locations, including in all 50 US states. Thousands of people turned out in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC, among other cities, on Saturday.

Protesters cited grievances with Trump’s agenda ranging from social to economic issues.

Coming days after Trump’s announcement that the US would impose import tariffs on most countries around the world, gatherings were also held outside the US, including in London, Paris and Berlin.

Protesters in Paris joined in, holding up signs in English.

In Boston, some protesters said they were motivated by immigration raids on US university students that have led to arrests and deportation proceedings.

Law student Katie Smith told BBC News that she was motivated by Turkish international student Rumeysa Ozturk, whose arrest near Boston-area Tufts University by masked US agents was caught on camera last month.

“You can stand up today or you can be taken later,” she said, adding: “I’m not usually a protest girlie.”
In London, protesters held signs reading, “WTAF America?”, “Stop hurting people” and “He’s an idiot”.

They chanted “hands off Canada”, “hands off Greenland” and “hands off Ukraine”, referencing Trump’s changes to US foreign policy. Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in annexing Canadaand Greenland. He also got into a public dispute with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and has struggled to negotiate a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia.

In Washington DC, thousands of protesters gathered to watch speeches by Democratic lawmakers. Many remarks focused on the role played in Trump’s administration by wealthy donors – most notably Elon Musk, who has served as an advisor to the president and spearheaded an effort to dramatically cut spending and the federal workforce.

Florida Congressman Maxwell Frost denounced the “billionaire takeover of our government”.
“When you steal from the people, expect the people to rise up. At the ballot box and in the streets,” he shouted.

The protests come after a bruising week for the president and his allies. Republicans won a closely watched special Florida congressional election on Tuesday, but with slimmer margins than they had hoped. Wisconsin voters elected a Democratic judge to serve on the state supreme court, roundly rejecting a Musk-backed Republican candidate by almost 10 percentage points.

In both states, Democrats sought to tap into voter anger towards the Trump administration’s policies and Elon Musk’s influence.

Some polls show approval ratings for President Trump to be slipping slightly.

One Reuters/Ipsos poll released earlier this week found that his approval rating had dropped to 43%, its lowest point since Trump began his second term in January. When he was inaugurated on 20 January, his approval rating was 47%.

The same poll found that 37% of Americans approve of his handling of the economy, while 30% approve of his strategy to address the cost of living in the US.

Another recent poll, from Harvard Caps/Harris, found that 49% of registered voters approve of Trump’s performance in office, down from 52% last month. The same poll, however, found that 54% of voters believe he is doing a better job than Joe Biden did as president.

One protester in Washington named Theresa told the BBC that she was there because “we’re losing our democratic rights”.

“I’m very concerned about the cuts they’re making to the federal government,” she said, adding that she is also concerned about retirement and education benefits.

Asked if she thought Trump was receiving the protesters’ message, she said: “Well, let’s see. [Trump has] been golfing just about every day.”

Trump held no public events on Saturday, and spent the day golfing at a resort he owns in Florida. He was scheduled to play golf again on Sunday.

Protesters also gathered in Houston, Texas.

The White House released a statement defending Trump’s positions, saying he would continue to protect programs such as Medicare and pointing to Democrats as the threat.

“President Trump’s position is clear: he will always protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid for eligible beneficiaries. Meanwhile, the Democrats’ stance is giving Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare benefits to illegal aliens, which will bankrupt these programs and crush American seniors.”

One of Trump’s top immigration advisors, Tom Homan, told Fox News on Saturday that protesters held a rally outside of his New York home, but that he was in Washington at the time.

“They can protest a vacant house all they want,” Homan said, adding that their presence “tied up” law enforcement and prevented officials from seeing to more important tasks.

“Protests and rallies, they don’t mean anything,” Homan continued.

“So go ahead and exercise your first amendment [free speech] rights. It’s not going to change the facts of the case.”

In St. Paul, Minnesota, protesters railed against Trump and flew an upside down American flag, a distress message that has become a symbol of protest.

April 6, 2025
A $2,300 Apple iPhone? Trump Tariffs Could Make That Happen.

(Reuters)—Your favorite iPhone could soon become much pricier, thanks to tariffs.

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a series of sweeping tariffs on countries around the world that could drastically alter the landscape of global trade, and consumer goods like iPhones could be among the hardest hit, analysts said on Thursday, with increases of 30% to 40% if the company were to pass on the cost to consumers.

Most iPhones are still made in China, which was hit with a 54% tariff. If those levies persist, Apple (AAPL.O) has a tough choice: absorb the extra expense or pass it on to customers.

Shares of the company closed down 9.3% on Thursday, hitting their worst day since March 2020.
Apple sells more than 220 million iPhones a year; its biggest markets include the United States, China and Europe.

The cheapest iPhone 16 model was launched in the U.S. with a sticker price of $799, but could cost as much as $1,142, per calculations based on projections from analysts at Rosenblatt Securities, who say the cost could rise by 43% – if Apple is able to pass that on to consumers.

A more expensive iPhone 16 Pro Max, with a 6.9-inch display and 1 terabyte of storage, which currently retails at $1599, could cost nearly $2300 if a 43% increase were to pass to consumers.

Rosenblatt Securities says Apple needs to hike iPhone price by 43% to cover for tariffs.

Trump imposed tariffs on a wide range of Chinese imports in his first term as president to pressure U.S. companies to bring manufacturing either back to the United States or to nearby countries such as Mexico, but Apple secured exemptions or waivers for several products. This time, he has not yet granted any exemptions.

“This whole China tariff thing is playing out right now completely contrary to our expectation that American icon Apple would be kid-gloved, like last time,” Barton Crockett, analyst at Rosenblatt Securities, said in a note.

The iPhone 16e, launched in February as a cheaper entry point for Apple’s suite of artificial-intelligence features, costs $599. A 43% price hike could push that cost to $856. Prices of other Apple devices could jump as well.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Many customers pay for their phones over a period of two or three years through contracts with their cellular providers.

However, other analysts noted that iPhone sales have been floundering in the company’s major markets, as Apple Intelligence, a suite of features that helps summarize notifications, rewrite emails and give users access to ChatGPT, has failed to enthuse buyers.

Expert reviews have suggested that the features, while innovative, do not provide enough of a compelling reason to justify upgrading to newer models.

The stagnation in demand could put additional pressure on Apple’s bottom line, especially if costs rise due to tariffs.

Angelo Zino, equity analyst at CFRA Research, said the company will have a tough time passing on more than 5% to 10% of the cost to consumers.

“We expect Apple to hold off on any major increases on phones until this fall when its iPhone 17 is set to launch, as it is typically how it handles planned price hikes.”

Even with some production moving to Vietnam and India, most iPhones are still made in China, and those countries were not spared from tariffs either, with Vietnam getting a 46% levy and India’s coming in at 26%.

Apple would need to raise its prices by at least 30% on average to offset import duties, according to Counterpoint Research co-founder Neil Shah.

A potentially sharp price hike could dampen demand for the smartphone and give South Korea’s Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) an edge, as the Asian country faces lower tariffs than China, where all iPhones sold in the U.S. are made.

This map shows the percentage of reciprocal tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration on each economy.
“Our quick math on Trump’s tariff Liberation Day suggests this could blow up Apple, potentially costing the company up to $40 billion,” Rosenblatt Securities’ Crockett noted, adding that negotiations between Apple, China and the White House are likely.

“It’s hard for us to imagine Trump blowing up an American icon…but this looks pretty tough.”

April 5, 2025
Trump Tariff Threatens Kenya’s Export Gains as Manufacturers Seek Urgent Review

A fresh trade hurdle looms for Kenya as U.S. President Donald Trump slaps a 10% tariff on Kenyan exports, triggering alarm bells across the country’s manufacturing sector.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) is urging Trump to rethink what it’s calling a risky economic move. For years, Kenya enjoyed duty-free access to the U.S. through AGOA, boosting exports and job creation.

With the Trump Tariff in play and AGOA nearing its expiry, manufacturers fear massive disruptions, job losses, and a backslide in Kenya’s hard-earned economic gains.

Trump Tariff Shakes Kenya’s Export Market

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has formally requested U.S. President Donald Trump to reconsider the 10% tariff recently imposed on Kenyan goods.

Trump signed a new executive order activating reciprocal tariffs on trade with Kenya. This move, KAM warns, threatens the country’s competitive edge in the American market.

KAM’s Chief Executive, Tobias Alando, explained that Kenyan exports—previously protected by the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)—will now face higher costs.

AGOA, which ends in September 2025, gave Kenya a zero-tariff advantage, allowing duty-free access to U.S. markets. Without AGOA’s cushion, Kenyan goods now risk losing price competitiveness.

This is especially concerning given the $737.3 million (Ksh95.11 billion) in exports that Kenya sent to the U.S. in 2024. These gains, KAM says, could be eroded by the Trump Tariff.

Kenyan Jobs and Industries Under Threat

KAM highlighted AGOA’s massive contribution to job creation in Kenya. The trade deal has directly created over 58,000 jobs and supported more than 100,000 others indirectly.

Industries such as textiles, tea, and coffee thrived under this tariff-free arrangement. Pharmaceutical products—like vaccines, blood, antisera, toxins, and cultures—also found their way to the U.S. under favorable terms.

With the Trump Tariff now in force, manufacturers say the cost of exporting will rise sharply. Contracts based on AGOA’s duty-free conditions may become financially unviable.

As a result, Kenyan producers may be forced to absorb extra costs or lose U.S. buyers altogether. KAM also warns that the trade imbalance between Kenya and the U.S. could worsen.

A likely decline in Kenyan exports could widen the existing trade deficit and shrink the country’s share in the U.S. market.

KAM Calls for Swift Intervention and AGOA Extension

In response, KAM is asking the U.S. to consider a transitional clause. They want all goods currently en route to the U.S.—shipped under AGOA’s 0% tariff policy—to be exempt from the Trump Tariff.

Moreover, KAM is urging both governments to push for AGOA’s renewal beyond 2025. They argue that the act has been essential for Kenya’s social and economic growth. Without it, thousands of jobs are at stake and entire industries may face decline.

Despite the tough situation, KAM remains proactive. The organization says it has already engaged with the Kenyan government and key stakeholders.

Its goal is to protect Kenya’s trade interests and keep the country competitive in the U.S. market. The Trump Tariff has shaken Kenya’s export landscape.

As the countdown to AGOA’s expiration continues, manufacturers are racing to secure better trade terms.

Whether Trump will soften his stance remains uncertain—but the call from Kenya’s business leaders is loud and clear: protect the progress, preserve the partnership, and keep Kenya trading.

April 5, 2025