August 1. Start of vacation for many, return to work for others. Meanwhile, with many companies under minimum, the vast majority of international companies continue with the crossed fingers and with the fear that the deadline that the US president, Donald Trump, proposed for the application of their tariffs not extended for longer and enter into force from this date.
It is the fear with which the Republican leader has been playing since April 2 of this year, which he called as “Liberation Day“He announced taxes to dozens of countries around the world. Among them, a 20% tax at EU imports, 34% to China and 10% to all countries. Its objective was that of the eye for an eye to some” friendly countries “that”They have treated us very badly for decades“.
But it is not the first time in which one of the deadlines Trump has given in recent months has been exhausted and taxes do not come to light. Although this time, the American president says he is serious- as if it were not serious enough to apply a general lien to dozens of countries around the world- and this Wednesday has assured from the social social network social that there would be no more truce.
“The deadline of August 1 is the deadline of August 1. It remains firm and will not be extended. A great day for the United States! “Said the United States leader.
The agreement with Europe
Before the calendar dropped the July sheet and welcomed the month of August, Trump had already achieved some of his purposes. Among them, reaching a commercial pact with the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that analysts believe will not benefit Europe.
The truth is that the details are not entirely clear. From Scotland, the European leader shook her hand with the Republican leader and gave how good the application of 15% levies for European products, in addition to committing to the European blockade proposing other investments in energy or defense.
In spite of everything, what seems resounding is that the only winner is the US president. A first capital analysis indicates that the set of measures will cause a 0.5% drop in European GDP. Experts expect that the North American country will enter tens of billions of dollars for import taxes.
The agreement will force Brussels to make energy purchases to the United States worth 750,000 million dollars (638 billion euros), investments worth 600,000 million dollars (510,000 million euros). The president of the European Council, António Costa, “gives priority to cooperation, protects the fundamental interests of the EU and provides companies with the certainty they need“.
He sneaked into Brussels
And, of course, what happens in Europe is also noted in Spain. The Chamber of Commerce of Spain estimates that the entry into force of the 15% generalized tariff to US imports from Europe could cause a 10.1% drop in Spanish exports.
“A priori, the direct impact would be limited. Total sales to the US represented Only 4.7% of total Spanish exports in 2024, so it would be a limited effect. However, the impact could be relevant in the sectors with a greater exposure to the American market, such as team goods, semimanufacturas and some agri -food products, “the agency has detailed.
The Chamber of Commerce of Spain has detailed that the effect of setting a general tariff rate of 15% to Spanish exports to the North American country “could range between a 7.2% decrease and 13.1% (-1.307.3 and -2,375.3 million euros)”.
The data of the regulatory body suggests that the group of ‘food and tobacco products’, which faced so far an average tariff of 7.45%, would show a “moderate” impact. “An increase in tariffs to place them in 15% could reduce their exports to the US by 2.6%,” they said in the brief.
Although Europe has not been the only one that has yielded. The United Kingdom, or Japan, with 15%tariffs, have also decided to reach an agreement that only benefits the US.
To Europe and beyond
But Trump’s intentions were not framed alone in Europe. Its tariff pressures continue to keep large companies around the world in suspense. In Asia, Thailand and Malaysia are taking leaps and bounds to try to stop the generalized imposition of tariffs and sign a pact that causes less damage to their economy.
These two countries seek to follow the steps that Vietnam, Indonesia or the Philippines have already closed with the Republican leader, giving for good- if there is something good in it- tariffs between 19 and 20%. But there are two very affected countries, one of them in Asia and another in Africa. The first, Cambodia, which received 49%tariffs in April. The most punished, Lesoto, the country to which the US president announced a 50%tax.
Other countries closest to the US are Canada and Mexico. This same Thursday, Trump warned the Canadian government that, in the case of recognizing the Palestinian state, it would be difficult “a lot“Being able to reach a commercial agreement between the two nations.”That will make it difficult for us to reach a commercial agreement with them. Oh, Canada!“He said. A threat that occurs before the fear of the entry into force of a 35% tax on Canadian imports excluded from the commercial treaty that links them (TMEC).
In the case of Mexico, the White House had threatened with the imposition of 30% tariffs outside the TMEC. This same Thursday, Donald Trump has announced after maintaining a telephone conversation with Claudia Sheinbaum.
China had been one of the main countries that Trump wanted to impose taxes, but both the US and the Asian giant, have been negotiating in Stockholm (Sweden) for several days to try to reach a commercial pact that has not yet seen the light. It is true that the deadline was delayed until August 12 and have some more margin. The US commercial representative Jamieson Greer, and his Chinese counterpart, Li Chenggang, have tried to have negotiations arrive in fruition, but both powers have not defined the steps to follow.
India or Brazil have been two of the great harmed of the week. The Republican leader announced last Tuesday the imposition of a tariff between 20 and 25% to the products that came from India. In the case of Brazil, its tax is much greater, of 50%, for processing “for political reasons“The friend of the American leader and former Brazilian leader, Jair Bolsonaro.”They are serious human rights abuses that have undermined the rule of law in Brazil“The White House said.
‘We are working on it’
This Thursday, Trump himself said from Truth Social that “We are very busy in the White House working in commercial agreements”
The reality is that the practice of the American government- although it is lawful- seeks to weaken its main competitors and strengthen their country at the expense of others. In fact, with that ace in the manga, it seeks to end some international conflicts such as war in Ukraine.
Trump himself assured a few days ago that he gave the Kremlin 10 days to reach a high fire agreement or will receive the punishment that many countries are fearing. “Then we will put tariffs (…). I don’t know if it will affect Russia because surely (Russian president, Vladimir Putin) He will want to move on with the war, but we will lay out“He said.
As it has been passing since he arrived at the White House, the Republican leader has the last word and after half a year since his return to the US administration, he continues to suffocate dozens of commercial partners and “friends“The date has already been fulfilled and Trump continues to use its yoke that continues to keep in suspense half the world.
