In a move that has drawn widespread criticism from economists, trade experts, and global leaders, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that his administration would issue tariff demands to over 150 countries, threatening to impose across-the-board duties of up to 15% on imports.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, Trump revealed that letters would be sent out to numerous trading partners, notifying them of the United States’ intent to impose new tariffs unless better trade terms are reached. The planned tariffs, set to take effect on August 1, are part of what Trump calls a "payment notice" — a thinly veiled ultimatum aimed at coercing countries into one-sided trade deals on Washington’s terms.

“We’ll have well over 150 countries that we’re just going to send a notice of payment out,” Trump boasted, adding that the tariff would be “the same for everyone” in that group. He dismissed the targeted nations as “not big countries” and minimized the significance of their trade volumes — a statement that critics say reflects a dangerous misunderstanding of global economic interdependence.

In a subsequent interview with Real America’s Voice, Trump stated the tariff rate would likely be “10 or 15%,” admitting that the decision had not yet been finalized.

The move comes amid a barrage of new tariff threats from Trump in recent days, and appears to escalate his longstanding war on multilateral trade agreements. While the letters extend an earlier July 9 deadline for new deals, the former president has shown little interest in actual negotiations, instead touting the letters themselves as a form of victory.

Trump’s heavy-handed approach has been met with alarm in many capitals. Trade ministries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe have reportedly scrambled to interpret the vague threats and prepare responses, fearing both economic damage and the signal this sends about future U.S. foreign policy should Trump return to power.

Many analysts view the strategy as a deeply flawed revival of the same protectionist instincts that triggered market volatility and disrupted global supply chains during Trump's previous term. Critics argue that punishing dozens of developing and emerging economies—many of which rely on exports for survival—is not only unjust, but geopolitically reckless.

With the deadline looming and uncertainty spreading, nations are now left with an unenviable choice: bow to tariff threats or brace for the economic fallout. Either way, Trump’s tariff barrage is already undermining the foundations of international trade and sowing renewed distrust in U.S. global leadership. (ILKHA)