President Donald Trump has reinforced that no extensions will be granted past August 1, 2025, for his “letter” tariffs to take effect, according to his post on Truth Social stating that “all money will be due and payable starting AUGUST 1… No extensions will be granted”.
The announcement comes as his administration dispatches tariff letters to nations including Japan and South Korea—with at least 14 countries notified so far—and hints at even more such communications soon.
Simultaneously, Trump escalated trade tensions by proposing steep reciprocal tariffs—50% on copper and potentially up to 200% on pharmaceutical imports—though the latter would be phased in over a year to eighteen months.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, influenced a three-week delay pushing the effective date to August 1, seeking to buy time for trade negotiations with major partners like the EU and India .
In effect, Trump appears to be leveraging a firm deadline while simultaneously extending timelines and broadening the range of tariffs—leaving both markets and international partners navigating a mix of certainty and uncertainty.
