On May 16, local time, U.S. President Trump stated that due to the inability to negotiate and reach agreements with '150 countries', the U.S. will send letters to some countries to unilaterally impose new tariff rates. In the next two to three weeks, U.S. Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Ross will 'inform' some of America's trade partners about the tariff rates imposed on the goods they export to the U.S. market.

Trump did not specify which countries would receive the letters or which countries still have the opportunity to negotiate. It is currently unclear whether these new tariffs will be imposed based on the rates announced by Trump in April or if they will be adjusted.

The U.S. increasing tariffs refers to the U.S. government's additional taxation on imported goods:

- Reasons: Protect domestic industries, curb strategic rivals, geopolitical intentions, shift domestic conflicts, and satisfy personal and corporate interests.

- Related policies: In 2025, Trump announced varying tariff increases on multiple countries and regions, including Canada, Mexico, and China, as well as on goods like automobiles and semiconductors, and also set baseline tariffs for imported goods.

- Impact: Harm the interests of U.S. consumers and businesses, disrupt exports; damage the global multilateral trading system, increase global economic risks.

- Response from China: Strongly oppose U.S. bullying; if the U.S. escalates tariffs, countermeasures will be taken; urge the U.S. to cancel unilateral tariffs, stop suppression, and resolve differences through dialogue.