President Donald Trump declared on Sunday that the tariffs he intends to impose in the coming days will affect “all countries,” not just those with significant trade imbalances with the United States. The president’s remarks, made aboard Air Force One, dashed any hopes that the tariffs would be limited to specific nations or groups with persistent trade deficits.
Trump’s administration is set to unveil the tariffs on April 2, which he described as a “Liberation Day,” aiming to impose reciprocal levies to counter trade practices he deems unfair. When asked about the scope of the tariffs, Trump stated, “You’d start with all countries, so let’s see what happens,” indicating that no countries would be exempt from the planned actions.
“I haven’t heard a rumor about 15 countries, 10 or 15,” Trump added when questioned about which nations would be targeted. “Essentially all of the countries that we’re talking about. We’ve been talking about all countries, not a cutoff,” he explained, leaving the details of the tariffs unclear.
Initially, the tariffs were expected to focus on the “Dirty 15,” a term coined by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to describe the 15 countries with the most persistent trade imbalances with the United States. However, Trump’s broader approach suggests a more sweeping strategy that impacts all trading partners.
Trump emphasized that the tariffs would be “more generous” than those imposed on the U.S. by other nations over the years. He stated, “The tariffs will be far more generous than those countries were to us, meaning they will be kinder than those countries were to the United States of America over the decades. They ripped us off like no country has ever been ripped off in history, and we’re going to be much nicer than they were to us. But it’s substantial money for the country nevertheless.”
The president’s tariff strategy has already seen action with levies on steel and aluminum imports, and additional tariffs imposed on Chinese goods. Additionally, tariffs on imported automobiles are expected to go into effect on April 3. Trump’s trade adviser, Peter Navarro, stated that the auto import tax could generate as much as $100 billion annually. Navarro also projected that the new tariffs across the board could raise about $600 billion per year, potentially accumulating $6 trillion over the next decade.
While Trump defends the tariffs as a means to boost U.S. revenue and rejuvenate domestic industries, critics warn that the aggressive measures could ignite a global trade war. Other countries have already pledged to retaliate, and economists caution that the sweeping tariffs may drive up inflation and potentially trigger a global economic downturn. Despite the concerns, Trump remains firm in his stance, describing the tariffs as necessary steps to correct long-standing trade imbalances.
