Trump Extends Tariff Deadline, Targets India, Canada and BRICS in Sweeping Trade Shift

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order modifying global tariff rates just hours before a self-imposed August 1 deadline, granting a one-week extension while announcing major adjustments affecting dozens of countries.

The White House said late Thursday that the changes reflect each nation’s “trade and security commitments,” with elevated tariffs set to take effect August 7 for countries that have failed to engage or offer acceptable terms to Washington.

The move targets both adversaries and allies, escalating economic pressure on multiple fronts.

India will face 25% tariffs following Trump’s announcement Wednesday, which cited New Delhi’s ongoing trade with Russia and its role in the BRICS alliance. Trump called the US-India trade deficit “tremendous” and accused BRICS nations of trying to “destroy the dollar as the global standard.”

The updated schedule lists Brazil under a 10% tariff—despite Trump raising its rate to 50% just a day earlier. At the time, he said Brazil posed a threat to US “national security, foreign policy, and economy.” The inconsistency has raised questions over the coherence of the administration’s tariff strategy.

Trump unexpectedly hiked tariffs on Canada to 35%, up from 25%, citing Ottawa’s “continued inaction” on curbing fentanyl trafficking into the US. He also criticized Canadian support for Palestinian statehood, warning it could jeopardize future trade agreements with Washington.

Mexico narrowly avoided higher tariffs after reaching a last-minute agreement with US officials on Thursday. The 25% tariff on select Mexican goods will remain in place for 90 days, delaying a scheduled increase to 30%.

Recent trade deals spared the EU, South Korea and Japan from steeper hikes, with all three now subject to a 15% tariff. Meanwhile, Syria faces the highest new rate at 41%, followed closely by Laos and Myanmar [40%], Switzerland [39%], and a host of other nations—including Iraq, Serbia, Algeria, Libya, and South Africa—at 30–35%.

According to the executive order, a “universal” baseline tariff of 10% remains in effect for countries with a trade surplus, while those with deficits with the US will continue facing a 15% standard rate.

The move underscores the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive approach to trade, using tariffs as leverage to extract political and economic concessions—even from longtime allies.