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Donald Trump hits Malaysia, Kazakhstan with 25% tariffs, Myanmar and Laos face 40%, South Africa 30%
The new trade measures, shared in official letters and posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, will begin on August 1.
US President Donald Trump has announced a fresh round of tariffs on five more countries, including Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and South Africa. The move is part of what he calls “a wave of letters” to U.S. trading partners.
The new trade measures, shared in official letters and posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, will begin on August 1 and expand his use of tariffs in trade policy.
Malaysia and Kazakhstan will each face a 25 per cent tariff on their exports to the United States. Both countries export electronics, energy, and industrial metals to the US.
Myanmar and Laos will face a 40 per cent tariff on their goods. Meanwhile, South Africa has been placed under a 30 per cent tariff.
In letters sent to the leaders of all five countries, Trump said that any tariff increase in response would lead to further action from the United States.
“If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by will be added onto the tariffs that we charge,” the president wrote.
Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea, warns against retaliation
Earlier, Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on goods imported from Japan and South Korea. These are two of the United States’ most important allies in Asia. He also cited long-standing trade deficits. Those announcements were accompanied by similar letters and came with a direct warning to avoid countermeasures or face further hikes.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that more letters would be sent to a total of twelve countries by the end of the day. She described the rollout as part of “tailor-made trade plans” being devised by the administration.
With the tariffs set to kick in over the next three weeks, the move sets the stage for high-stakes negotiations and possible economic blowback as global markets digest the latest phase of Trump’s unilateral trade offensive.
With agencies inputs
