In pursuit of the “America First” policy, the Trump administration has recently taken frequent actions in the realm of tariffs. It announced that starting August 1, it will impose a 30% tariff on goods from key sectors such as automobiles and steel imported into the U.S. from the EU. In response to this move, while the EU has threatened reciprocal countermeasures, it has repeatedly postponed retaliatory measures until early August, clearly still hoping to resolve the conflict through negotiations.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has exerted differentiated tariff pressure on ASEAN countries. Tariffs, also set to take effect on August 1, cover nations including Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, with rates ranging from 19% to 40%. Under these circumstances, Vietnam and Indonesia have reached separate agreements with the U.S.: Vietnam accepted a 20% tariff, while Indonesia agreed to a 19% tariff on its exports to the U.S. and committed to purchasing $15 billion in U.S. energy products and 50 Boeing aircraft; Singapore, due to its free trade agreement, faces a 10% “reciprocal tariff.”

Additionally, the Trump administration has simultaneously expanded its global tariff network, imposing a 15% tariff on Japan, an additional 40% tariff on Laos and Myanmar, maintaining a 19% rate on the Philippines and Indonesia, and even claiming it will send letters to over 150 countries to establish a uniform tariff. This series of actions is profoundly impacting the global trade landscape.