Standing in the White House Rose Garden, President Donald Trump declared what he called “Liberation Day”, announcing a raft of tariffs on U.S. trading partners — the most expansive use of trade powers in modern American history.
“Hard-working American citizens were forced to sit on the sidelines while other nations got rich… Now it’s our turn,” Trump said, holding up a chart of reciprocal levies targeting more than 60 countries.
A 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports takes effect this Saturday, with harsher, customised tariffs for countries with what the White House called “massive non-tariff barriers.”
White House documents list steep new tariffs, many of them on top of existing duties. Among the highest:
🇨🇳 China: 54%
🇻🇳 Vietnam: 46%
🇮🇳 India: 26%
🇹🇼 Taiwan: 32%
🇯🇵 Japan: 24%
🇰🇷 South Korea: 25%
🇪🇺 European Union: 20%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: 10%
🇰🇭 Cambodia: 49%
Canada and Mexico are temporarily exempt from the new plan, as existing 25% tariffs tied to fentanyl and migration remain in place.
Steel, aluminium, auto parts, and pharmaceuticals already subject to tariffs will be exempt. So will energy, copper, semiconductors, and bullion not sourced domestically.
Inside Trump’s Cabinet, officials rallied around the policy.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called it “strong action to make America safe again.”
National Security Adviser Mike Waltz echoed Trump’s framing: “Economic security is national security.”
Speaker Mike Johnson said the U.S. “will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore.”
But Wall Street reacted less enthusiastically.
Nasdaq futures fell 2.5%
FTSE 100 slid 0.7%
Brent crude dropped 1% before stabilising
Gold hit a new record above $3,100/oz as investors fled to safety
Auto stocks slumped across the board — Ford, GM, Stellantis and Tesla all saw losses in after-hours trading.
British officials are portraying the 10% tariff on UK exports as “a good outcome” — relieved to have avoided the harsher penalties levied on the EU.
“Nobody wants a trade war,” said Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who confirmed the UK would “keep calm, keep negotiating.”
“But nothing is off the table… we will act if needed.”
Trump’s strategy is a throwback to protectionist America — invoking pre-1913 tariff policies, and blaming the Great Depression on the abandonment of that model.
“We used to be a tariff-backed nation. We were the richest we’ve ever been,” Trump said.
“This isn’t full reciprocal. This is kind reciprocal.”
But economists warn that retaliation is coming, and fast.
“This is worse than we feared,” said Mary Lovely of the Peterson Institute.
“The consequences for global trade routes could be huge.”
The Peterson Institute and other analysts expect consumer prices to rise, particularly in electronics, food, textiles, and transport. Supply chains may fragment as nations reroute trade flows away from U.S. ports.
By invoking a national emergency and using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, Trump bypassed Congress and seized executive control over trade.
The move is both strategic and risky:
The economic pain could come fast.
The political gain, if any, could take years.
“We are being kind,” Trump said. “But if they want to lower their barriers, we’ll talk. If not, they’ll pay.”
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President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn strong criticism from Kyiv, as Ukrainian leaders question the sincerity behind Moscow’s gesture amid continued hostilities and deep mistrust.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced a Russian drone strike that occurred just hours after the start of a declared Easter truce, calling it proof of Vladimir Putin’s blatant disregard for both the holiday and human life.
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Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn strong criticism from Kyiv, as Ukrainian leaders question the sincerity behind Moscow’s gesture amid continued hostilities and deep mistrust.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced a Russian drone strike that occurred just hours after the start of a declared Easter truce, calling it proof of Vladimir Putin’s blatant disregard for both the holiday and human life.
Hamas claims it has lost contact with the group holding Edan Alexander, a U.S.-Israeli soldier, after an Israeli airstrike reportedly killed one of his guards.
Tehran and Washington have wrapped up their second round of nuclear talks, aiming to revive stalled diplomacy and explore the path to a potential agreement.
Jordan's King Abdullah II and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi held a phone conversation on Saturday to discuss ongoing efforts to end the Israeli war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since October 7, 2023.
President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a temporary Easter ceasefire in Ukraine has drawn strong criticism from Kyiv, as Ukrainian leaders question the sincerity behind Moscow’s gesture amid continued hostilities and deep mistrust.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has denounced a Russian drone strike that occurred just hours after the start of a declared Easter truce, calling it proof of Vladimir Putin’s blatant disregard for both the holiday and human life.
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