Trump's reciprocal tariffs will be imposed on ‘all of the countries’, not just a small group

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that reciprocal tariffs would not be restricted to a few countries but would be imposed on all countries. The reciprocal tariffs, announced by Trump, will come into effect this week. 

Trump, calling April 2 when the tariffs will come into effect, ‘Liberation Day’, has already imposed tariffs on aluminium, steel and autos, along with increased tariffs on all goods from China. 

"You'd start with all countries…Essentially all of the countries that we're talking about," said Trump to reporters aboard Air Force One. 

White House economics adviser Kevin Hassett stated in a recent interview with Fox Business that the US administration's tariff strategy will target 10 to 15 countries with the most significant trade imbalances. However, he did not specify which countries would be affected. US President Donald Trump views tariffs as a means to protect the domestic economy from unfair international competition and as leverage for negotiating more favourable trade terms for the country. 

Trump has announced plans to implement reciprocal tariffs on countries that impose fees on US exports, aiming to match those tariffs accordingly. In February, he signed a memorandum instructing US trade officials to assess each country individually and compile a list of specific counter-measures. 

However, Trump recently hinted that he might reconsider the extent of his reciprocal tariff plans. He suggested the possibility of implementing tariffs at lower rates than those imposed by other countries on the United States in certain situations.