Trump Announces 30% Tariffs on EU and Mexico Starting August 1
On Saturday, former President Donald Trump revealed plans to implement 30% tariffs on imports from the European Union and Mexico, with the measures set to take effect on August 1.
Trump made the announcement through letters posted on his social media, targeting two of the U.S.’s key trade partners. The move is part of a broader push in his 2024 campaign to reassert American economic strength through aggressive trade policies—something he argues is necessary to counter decades of exploitation by foreign nations.
In a message to Mexico’s president, Trump acknowledged cooperation on border security and the fight against fentanyl but criticized the country for not doing enough. He warned that North America risked becoming a “Narco-Trafficking Playground” without stronger action. “Mexico has been helping me secure the border, BUT, what Mexico has done, is not enough,” he stated.
Addressing the European Union, Trump framed the long-standing U.S. trade deficit as a national security concern. He criticized EU trade practices as unfair and imbalanced. “We have had years to discuss our Trading Relationship with The European Union,” Trump wrote, “and we have concluded we must move away from these long-term, large, and persistent Trade Deficits… Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.”
