 "The countries worst hit by Trump tariffs: Is India on the list?")
In the ongoing trade war that Trump has initiated since coming to power, the US president has ordered the re-imposition of tariffs on dozens of trading partners on Thursday (July 31) through an executive order. However, he’s provided a small reprieve; these new tariff rates will come into effect in a week (August 7), not this Friday (August 1) as previously expected.
Notably, Trump’s order came just a few hours ahead of the United States’ August 1 trade deadline — the day that Trump’s so called “Liberation Day” tariffs kicked in.
Read the full list of countries hit by tariffs here
His new tariffs ranging from as low as 10 per cent and going up as high as 41 per cent apply to 69 trading partners (68 nations + European Union). According to the order, any country not listed in an annexe would face a default US import tariff of 10 per cent.
But which countries have been the hardest hit by Trump’s new executive order?
Syria
Syria leads the list of worst-hit nations with a new rate of 41 per cent. This is quite high for any nation, but especially one like Syria, which is struggling to recover from its recently-ended 14-year civil war.
What is notable, however, is that the two countries have little direct trade; US imports from Syria were a meagre $11 million last year, according to United Nations data cited by Trading Economics. That figure includes agricultural products and antiques.
Laos, Myanmar
The next hardest hit by Trump’s new tariffs are Laos and Myanmar; they have both been slapped with a 40 per cent tax.
Trump singled out these two nations for higher tariffs citing their unfair trade practices and regulatory barriers. Earlier, in a letter to the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Trump wrote that their “tariff and non-tariff barriers” were “hurting American jobs and industry,” further declaring that the new rate is “non-negotiable.”
In a similar letter to Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s military ruler, Trump emphasised that even the 40 per cent rate “is far less than what is needed” to close the US trade gap with the country.
Switzerland
The Alpine nation is another one badly hit by Trump’s new tariff order. The US president has levied a 39 per cent tariff on Switzerland.
This high tax comes as the country was among those that had not yet finalised trade frameworks with the US before the August 1 deadline. The rate on Swiss exports to the US is markedly higher than other trading partners who were able to negotiate frameworks with the US, such as the European Union, Japan and South Korea receiving 15 per cent levies.
Iraq, Serbia
Both the countries have been given a 35 per cent tariff.
Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Libya, South Africa
According to Trump’s new executive order, these four countries have been levied with a 30 per cent tariff.
India
India, who Trump describes as a ‘ friend ’ is also among the hardest hit by the new executive order. The US president has levied a 25 per cent tax on all Indian goods and stated that an added penalty would be imposed for its Russian trade.
The 25 per cent tax is slightly lower than the 26 per cent that Trump had stated earlier.
Among the Indian subcontinent, India is the highest taxed nation; its rivals, Pakistan, has been given a 19 per cent tariff, considerably lower from the earlier 29 per cent. In fact, fears in Islamabad that India was trying to isolate Pakistan financially have been somewhat tempered by the 25 per cent tariff rate that the Trump administration hit New Delhi with, CNN reports.
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the American trade team is “frustrated” over negotiations with India, describing it as “slow-rolling things”. He said that while the negotiations started with New Delhi early, it has become an annoyance to American counterparts.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that India’s purchase of Russian oil is a “point of irritation” in New Delhi’s relationship with Washington, DC. While speaking to Fox Radio on Thursday, Rubio argued that the Indian purchases of Russian oil are helping Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine. “Look, global trade – India is an ally. It’s a strategic partner. Like anything in foreign policy, you’re not going to align 100 per cent of the time on everything,” Rubio said in the interview.
Canada
Separate from Trump’s executive order, the US president announced that tariffs on Canadian goods would be increased to 35 per cent and this would take effect on August 1.
The White House said that the new tariff rate for its neighbour was a result of Ottawa’s inaction in the “illicit drug crisis” and its “retaliation against the United States” for its actions to address the threat.
The country “has failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs” and Trump has increased the country’s tariff to “effectively address the existing emergency”, it added.
However, many point to the fact that the high tariff is owing to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s decision to recognise statehood for Palestine , prompting Trump to write on Truth Social, “Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them.”
Shortly after the announcement, the president and CEO of Canada’s Chamber of Commerce slammed Trump and his tariff order. “The White House fact sheet should be called a fact-less sheet when it comes to basing trade decisions about Canada on the fentanyl emergency,” Candace Laing said in a statement. “More fact-less tariff turbulence does not advance North American economic security. Businesses — in Canada and the US — urgently need certainty.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also said the higher 35 per cent tariff rate from the US on Canadian goods is “concerning,” especially with other tariffs still in place. In a social media post, Ford called on Canada’s federal government to “hit back” with a 50 per cent tariff on US steel and aluminium.
“Canada shouldn’t settle for anything less than the right deal. Now is not the time to roll over. We need to stand our ground,” he posted on X. “The federal government needs to maximise our leverage and stand strong in the face of President Trump’s tariffs.”
Brazil
Trump had earlier signed an executive order imposing an additional 40 per cent tariff on Brazil, bringing the total tariff rate for the country to 50 per cent. Products like orange juice and civil aircraft have been exempted from the tariffs.
Most experts note that Trump’s high tariff on the Latin American country is political. In his explanation, Trump cited the “witch hunt” against his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro , the former Brazilian president on trial for allegedly plotting a coup.
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has denounced the tariffs as an attack on the “sovereignty” of South America’s largest economy.
With inputs from agencies
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