Trump Says Planned April 2 Tariffs Will ‘Start With All Countries’

President Donald Trump has announced that the reciprocal tariffs he intends to introduce this week will be enforced across all nations, not just the 10 to 15 countries with the most significant trade disparities.

Trump has designated Wednesday as “Liberation Day,” a day on which he will reveal a sweeping tariff policy. This includes increasing tariffs on all Chinese imports, along with existing tariffs on steel, aluminum, and automobiles, according to NBC News.

“You’d start with all countries,” Trump told journalists aboard Air Force One. “Essentially all of the countries that we’re talking about.”

Although he did not provide a specific list, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett recently indicated on Fox Business that the administration aims to target 10 to 15 nations with the worst trade imbalances through tariffs.

Trump considers tariffs an effective strategy for negotiating more favorable agreements for the U.S. and for protecting domestic industries from what he views as unfair foreign competition.

Real-time developments regarding the Trump administration: The president asserts that reciprocal tariffs will affect all nations. However, concerns over a potential trade war are causing volatility in financial markets and increasing fears of a U.S. economic downturn.

Trump has vowed to match the duties imposed by any country that levies tariffs on American exports. He has also stated his intention to introduce reciprocal tariffs against such nations.

In February, Trump signed a directive instructing U.S. trade officials to develop specific countermeasures for each country.

Last week, he suggested he may scale back some of these reciprocal measures, potentially imposing tariffs at lower rates in certain cases compared to those levied against U.S. goods.

Meanwhile, the British government is racing to finalize a post-Brexit trade deal with the U.S. in an effort to avoid—or at least mitigate—tariffs on European imports.

Since its departure from the European Union in 2020, the U.K. has been working toward securing a new trade pact with the United States. However, negotiations had largely stalled under the previous Conservative administration. Current Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the Labour Party met with Trump at the White House in February and left optimistic about the prospects of an agreement.

“We’re engaged in discussions with the United States about mitigating the impact of tariffs,” Starmer said as the weekend approached.

Trump appeared to share this optimism, stating that a “great” deal was in the works—one that could potentially shield the U.K. from impending tariffs. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently traveled to Washington to continue discussions, and Trump and Starmer spoke again by phone earlier this week to explore the next steps.

Negotiations have intensified as April 2—dubbed “Liberation Day” by President Trump—approaches. On that day, he is set to introduce a comprehensive package of reciprocal tariffs targeting several major trade partners, including the U.K. and the European Union.

Although Trump has already imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, he has so far refrained from penalizing the EU or the U.K., despite repeatedly signaling that such measures are likely.

“Am I going to impose tariffs on the European Union? Do you want the truthful answer, or should I give you a political answer? Absolutely,” the president remarked to reporters in January. “Absolutely. The European Union has treated us so terribly,” he added, reaffirming his longstanding concerns regarding the bloc’s trade policies.

Trump has indicated plans to introduce substantial tariffs on imported vehicles and auto parts, with additional duties on other goods expected to follow.

“We’re engaged in discussions with the United States about mitigating the impact of tariffs,” Starmer reiterated earlier this week. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves stated on Thursday that Britain would not seek to “escalate” trade conflicts. This contrasts with Canada and several European nations, which have pledged to “retaliate” despite already imposing tariffs on U.S. goods.

For example, the EU currently applies a 10 percent tariff on American automobiles, whereas European vehicles entering the United States face only a 2.5 percent tariff.