President Donald Trump delivered a confused response Sunday evening, July 6, when asked about the timeline for reimposing tariff rates, requiring Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to clarify that the levies would take effect August 1. The exchange occurred at Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey as Trump prepared to board Air Force One.
When a reporter asked whether tariff rates would change on July 9 or August 1, Trump initially appeared not to hear the question clearly over the aircraft noise and leaned in for clarification. After the reporter repeated the inquiry, Trump provided a rambling response that failed to address the specific dates.
Trump responded: “They’re going to be tariffs. The tariffs are going to be the tariffs.” He added that he expected most countries would be resolved by July 9, either through a letter or a deal, but did not clarify the implementation timeline.
Lutnick stepped in to provide clarity, stating that tariffs would go into effect August 1 while noting that the President was currently setting the rates and negotiating deals. This intervention came after Trump’s initial response left the timeline ambiguous.
The confusion stems from Trump’s complex tariff schedule following his April “Liberation Day” announcement. After implementing sweeping tariffs that caused stock market turbulence, the administration announced a 90-day pause on most levies. That original pause was scheduled to expire July 9, but Commerce Secretary officials have now confirmed the August 1 implementation date.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that approximately 100 letters would be sent to smaller trading partners, many of whom already face the baseline 10 percent rate. Bessent indicated that Trump would send letters to trading partners warning that failure to advance negotiations would result in tariffs reverting to April 2 levels on August 1.
The administration has completed trade agreements with the United Kingdom, China, and Vietnam. Trump announced on his Truth Social platform Sunday that tariff letters and deals would be delivered starting at noon Eastern time on Monday, July 7. He indicated that 12 to 15 tariff notification letters would be sent initially.
On Monday, Trump began fulfilling this promise by sending letters to Japan and South Korea announcing 25 percent tariffs on their imports, effective August 1. The letters cited trading relationships that were “unfortunately, far from reciprocal” as justification for the increased duties. Similar letters were sent to South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos, and Kazakhstan, with tariff rates ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Monday that Trump would sign an order formally delaying the July 9 deadline to August 1.
The administration’s tariff strategy has faced international pushback. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated Sunday that he would not easily compromise in trade talks with Washington. BRICS leaders, representing Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, expressed serious concerns about what they characterized as indiscriminate import tariffs.
Trump responded to BRICS criticism by threatening an additional 10 percent tariff on any country aligning with what he termed “Anti-American policies of BRICS.” He emphasized that there would be no exceptions to this policy, escalating tensions with the economic bloc.
The tariff implementation represents a significant shift from Trump’s initial “90 deals in 90 days” goal. With limited results achieved so far, the administration has extended its timeline while maintaining pressure on trading partners through the threat of increased duties.
Bessent dismissed suggestions that August 1 represented a new deadline, characterizing it as a maximum pressure strategy. He cited the European Union as an example of a negotiating partner making progress after initial reluctance, though comprehensive deals remain elusive.
The United States maintains a significant trade deficit with many of these partners. Last year, the trade deficit with the European Union reached $236 billion in goods, though when services are included, the European Commission calculates the deficit at $57 billion.
Trump’s Sunday evening response highlighted the complexity of his administration’s trade policy and the challenges of communicating specific implementation timelines. The incident occurred as the administration prepares for a crucial period of international trade negotiations with significant economic implications.
