British News Agency

Speaking to reporters during a meeting at the White House with Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Trump said, “Everything will be the same for everyone in that group. They’re not big countries and they don’t do a lot of business. They’re not like China and Japan, with whom we’ve made deals.”

Currently, all countries pay an additional 10% base tariff set by Trump in April. He had previously suggested the new base might be 15% to 20%, but on Wednesday he didn’t mention a specific rate.

Trump has already sent about twenty letters to specific trade partners such as the European Union, Japan, and South Korea, notifying them of tariff rates that will take effect on August 1.

This move has launched the final stage of intense negotiations, as the targeted countries attempt to convince the Trump administration to offer them more favorable terms.

Meanwhile, doubts remain about whether the new tariffs will indeed take effect on August 1 due to the potential impact on the economy and, ultimately, Trump’s approval ratings.

Among the countries that have not yet received a letter, but account for more than 3% of the U.S. total trade deficit in 2024, are Taiwan, Switzerland, and India.