Trump and his administration aren’t messing around. They are playing to win.
And now the White House drew an immovable line in the sand that changed everything.
Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tariffs Set to Launch
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs, scheduled for August 1, 2025, will proceed without further delays.
Speaking on “Fox News Sunday,” Lutnick stated, “No extensions, no more grace periods. Aug. 1, the tariffs are set; they’ll go into place. Customs will start collecting the money, and off we go.”
Initially announced on April 2 with a 10% baseline tariff on all U.S. imports and customized rates for various countries, the tariffs were postponed twice from their original April 9 start date.
Lutnick noted Trump’s openness to dialogue, saying:
“Obviously, after Aug. 1, people can still talk to President Trump. I mean, he’s always willing to listen, and between now and then, I think the president is going to talk to a lot of people. Whether they can make him happy is another question.”
Strategic Trade Deals and Global Negotiations
Trump has leveraged the tariff initiative to secure preliminary trade agreements with the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, while negotiating a tariff truce with China, setting an August 12 deadline for a broader deal.
Lutnick emphasized Trump’s focus on major economies, stating, “We set the table. The team sets the table. But Donald Trump does his negotiations by himself.”
During a recent U.K. trip, Trump met with European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen to discuss trade with the 27-nation EU, a key U.S. trade partner.
Existing tariffs, including 50% on aluminum and steel and 25% on non-compliant imports from Canada and Mexico under the USMCA, have generated significant revenue.
Tariffs Fund Domestic Priorities and Geopolitical Strategy
Lutnick highlighted the economic benefits of the tariffs, predicting, “What’s going to happen is very few products are actually going to move in price,” and estimating revenue of “$700 billion, $800 billion, maybe it’s possible we get near a trillion dollars,” which could reduce the U.S. deficit.
He tied this to Trump’s domestic agenda, asking, “What do you think is paying for no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security, right?”
Trump has also used tariffs geopolitically, warning Cambodia and Thailand to resolve border disputes or face halted trade talks and threatening Russia with 100% secondary tariffs on oil exports unless it negotiates with Ukraine.
