#TrumpTariffs

US President Donald Trump escalated his threats to impose punitive tariffs on more than 12 countries unless they reach an agreement by August 1, announcing the latest phase of his trade war.

This comes as part of the "reciprocal" tariffs that Trump first announced last April, which were then postponed for 90 days to allow for negotiations. This deadline - which was originally set to expire this week - has been pushed to next August.

The changing timeline for the most significant increases in US tariffs - in nearly a century - has disrupted global markets and caused widespread confusion, as the US administration remains far from sealing the "90 deals in 90 days" that it initially promised, according to the British Guardian newspaper.

1- What has changed with Trump's proposal for tariffs?

Trump informed key suppliers (Japan and South Korea, and 12 other countries) - at the beginning of this week - that they would face tariffs of at least 25%, starting next August, unless they could quickly negotiate deals.

He also threatened to increase them if any country retaliated or attempted to circumvent the tariffs through other countries.

Trump has kept the world guessing about the outcomes of months of talks with countries, in hopes of avoiding significant increases in tariffs.