
Trump to Unilaterally Set Tariff Rates Within Weeks
Published: June 12, 2025
President Trump announced that he plans to unilaterally set country-specific tariff rates within the next one to two weeks, sending letters to trading partners to either accept the terms or face exclusionau.finance.yahoo.com+7finance.yahoo.com+7wsj.com+7.
📣 Key Highlights
Timing & Mechanism
Trump stated the administration will begin issuing letters to countries in "about a week to two weeks", specifying new tariff levels in a "take it or leave it" format nypost.com.
Scope of Action
This move follows a 90‑day tariff pause initiated on April 2, during which a 10% baseline tariff was active, with higher reciprocal tariffs scheduled for certain regions (e.g., 20% for EU, 46% for Vietnam). The new strategy makes these increases official en.wikipedia.org+2businessinsider.com+2nypost.com+2.
Countries Affected
Trump is reportedly targeting around 15 countries—including Japan and South Korea—while acknowledging that the volume of negotiations makes bilateral discussions with over 150 countries impracticalwsj.com+1businessinsider.com+1.
Legal & Policy Context
The announcement coincides with recent legal developments: the Court of Appeals blocked a lower court’s injunction, allowing the tariffs to remain for at least two more monthsen.wikipedia.orgwsj.com+15businessinsider.com+15finance.yahoo.com+15.