The U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that slaps dozens of countries with steep tariff hikes, a move critics warn will destabilize global trade and jack up costs for American consumers.

The order, which adjusts reciprocal tariff rates ahead of Trump’s arbitrary August 1 deadline, is being slammed as a heavy-handed tactic that risks alienating allies and strangling U.S. industries already grappling with economic uncertainty.

The White House claims the tariffs aim to curb the U.S.’s ballooning trade deficits and foster “fair, balanced, and reciprocal trade relationships.” But economists and trade experts argue the policy is a sledgehammer approach that will backfire, raising prices for everyday goods and disrupting supply chains. The new tariffs, effective August 7, hit nations like Canada with a punishing 35% rate—up from 25%—while countries like Syria (41%), Myanmar (40%), Laos (40%), Switzerland (39%), and Iraq (35%) face some of the harshest increases. Even key partners like India (25%), Vietnam (20%), and Türkiye (15%) aren’t spared, with the EU facing a convoluted tariff formula that critics call a bureaucratic nightmare.

The order’s timing—just days before the August 1 deadline—leaves little room for meaningful negotiations, casting doubt on Trump’s assertion that some countries are “on the verge” of agreements. Critics argue the policy prioritizes political posturing over economic stability, with American farmers, manufacturers, and consumers likely to bear the brunt of higher costs and disrupted trade. (ILKHA)