Key EU leaders to join Trump–Zelenskyy peace talks in Washington
Top European leaders will travel to Washington on Monday to join U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in critical talks aim...
The White House has affirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump still intends to implement new reciprocal tariff rates on April 2, despite earlier remarks from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinting at a possible delay.
A White House official stated, "The intent is to enact tariffs on April 2," emphasizing that unless trading partners equalize their tariff and non-tariff barriers—or unless the U.S. maintains higher tariffs—the new measures will go into effect as planned.
Treasury Secretary Bessent had explained on Fox Business Network's "Mornings with Maria" that on April 2, each country would receive a reciprocal tariff number reflecting its own tariff rates, non-tariff barriers, currency practices, and other factors. "For some countries, it could be quite low, for some countries, it could be quite high," he said, adding that negotiations might help avert a "tariff wall" if countries adjust their trade barriers accordingly.
The administration expects that the tariff announcements will prompt affected nations to either negotiate in advance or voluntarily reduce their trade barriers, thereby avoiding the harsher tariffs designed to protect the U.S. economy, workers, and industries. In a bid to mitigate the economic impact, Bessent suggested that if trading partners come forward with proposals to lower their tariffs, some of the new duties might be negotiated down.
Details of the reciprocal tariff plan are still being finalized, with much of the technical work being handled by the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, led by Jamieson Greer, and a team of about 200 staffers. Vice President JD Vance has also played an increasingly active role in these discussions.
The complexity of the new tariff structure is compounded by the need to factor in the different duty rates and non-tariff measures of the 186 members of the World Customs Organization. Additional challenges include accounting for regulations such as domestic content requirements and food safety standards that can disadvantage U.S. firms.
Market observers note that the administration's tariff strategy is aimed particularly at the roughly 15% of countries with the highest tariffs and substantial trade volumes with the U.S.—often dubbed the "Dirty 15." These measures come amid ongoing efforts to address what the White House sees as unfair trade practices, including currency manipulation, labor suppression, and other non-tariff barriers.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Trade Representative’s office did not immediately comment on the reciprocal tariff plan, while industry analysts remain cautious about the potential economic fallout. With the new tariffs set to trigger negotiations and possibly retaliatory measures from key trading partners, the coming days will be critical in shaping the next phase of U.S. trade policy.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
A resumption of Iraq’s Kurdish oil exports is not expected in the near term, sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, despite an announcement by Iraq’s federal government a day earlier stating that shipments would resume immediately.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 56 kilometres east of Gorgan in northern Iran early Sunday morning, according to preliminary seismic data.
A deadly heatwave has claimed 1,180 lives in Spain since May, with elderly people most at risk, prompting calls for urgent social support.
Top European leaders will travel to Washington on Monday to join U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy in critical talks aimed at ending the war with Russia.
France, Germany and Britain will meet on Sunday to help shape Ukraine’s position before President Zelenskyy holds high-stakes talks with Donald Trump in Washington.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held phone conversations on Saturday with his Turkish and Hungarian counterparts, just hours after the U.S.–Russia summit in Alaska ended without a breakthrough on Ukraine.
At least eight people have been killed and four remain missing after a flash flood in northern China, state media reported on Sunday, as the East Asian monsoon continues to trigger severe weather across the country.
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