▲ Donald Trump, President of the United States
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 29th, President Donald Trump is instructing his senior aides to draft a more aggressive tariff policy ahead of the announcement of “reciprocal tariffs” on April 2nd local time, which will consider tariffs and non-tariff barriers imposed by other countries on the US.
In response to Trump’s orders, aides are contemplating the exact range of imported goods to be included when announcing the reciprocal tariffs, reports the WP.
The most likely option regarding the “range” of the reciprocal tariffs is the “Dirty 15,” recently hinted at by Treasury Secretary Scott Besant, according to the newspaper.
The expectation is that countries in the “Dirty 15,” meaning those with significant trade surpluses with the United States, will be the main targets of the reciprocal tariffs.
While it’s unclear which countries are included in the “Dirty 15,” South Korea, which ranked 7th to 8th among nations with which the US recorded trade deficits last year, following China, Mexico, Vietnam, Ireland, Germany, and Japan, is perceived as likely to be included.
Having already implemented a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum since the 12th and with plans to enforce a 25% tariff on automobiles and auto parts from April 3rd, President Trump has recently revived the idea of a “universal tariff” as reported by WP.
The “universal tariff” involves imposing a uniform tariff rate on all imported goods to cover the “exceptions” in tariff-related policies, which is Trump’s viewpoint, according to the report.
Trump seems quite committed to tariffs and reportedly regrets having allowed aides to persuade him to refrain from expanding tariffs during his first term.
Although there are significant concerns about rising prices, President Trump appears determined to both increase fiscal revenue and restore the US manufacturing base through tariffs.
Meanwhile, according to Senator John Hoeven (R-North Dakota), some Republican senators expressed concerns about the uncertainty of tariffs during a luncheon with US Trade Representative Jamison Greer on the 25th, WP noted.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)