‘Somewhere in the 15-20% range’: Trump plans ‘world tariff’ for around 200 nations

President Donald Trump is planning a ‘world tariff’ for countries that do not have a separate trade deal with the US. He plans to put the tariff in the 15-20 per cent range, he said.

Trump told reporters on Monday that his administration will notify some 200 countries of the new ‘world tariff’ rate. "I would say it'll be somewhere in the 15 to 20% range. Probably one of those two numbers,” Trump said in the presence of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his luxury golf resort in Turnberry, Scotland.

The US has already announced higher rates of up to 50 per cent on some countries, including Brazil. The tariffs come as Trump vows to end decades of US trade deficits by altering tariffs on its trading partners. Meanwhile, several other trade deals are already in the works, including India, Pakistan, Canada, and Thailand.

Washington also, on Sunday, signed a trade deal with the European Union, imposing a 15 per cent tariff on most EU goods. The deal also includes $600 billion of investments in the US by European firms, and $750 billion in energy purchases over the next three years.

Before that Japan signed a $550-billion deal with the US last week. The US also has agreements with Britain, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Trump had earlier indicated that he prefers straightforward tariff rates over complex negotiations. He said it is not possible to sit and craft 200 separate deals, something he reiterated on Monday.

INDIA-US TRADE DEAL

Both Washington and New Delhi have been engaged in trade talks, aiming to finalise a deal before the August 1 deadline, which is increasingly appearing to be challenging. Piyush Goyal said on Saturday that India’s trade talks are at a ‘very advanced’ stage with the US.

The Indian side is led by trade negotiator Rajesh Agrawal who recently returned from Washington after the fifth round of Bilateral Trade Agreement talks with the US. The four-day discussions from July 14 to 17 aimed to finalise an interim trade deal before the US reimposes Trump-era tariffs of up to 26% on countries including India. Agrawal, special secretary in the commerce department, led the delegation covering key sectors such as agriculture, automobiles, and high-tech exports under the SCOMET category.

India maintained its stance against US pressure to lower duties on agriculture and dairy, sectors it has consistently protected in trade agreements. Domestic farming groups have also urged that agriculture be excluded from the talks entirely. New Delhi is also seeking the rollback of the suspended 26% tariffs and lower duties on steel, aluminium, and automobiles. It also wants improved US market access for labour-intensive exports like textiles, gems, leather goods, shrimp, grapes, and bananas.