Trump: "Friends were worse than enemies... All countries should keep negotiating hard"

Expresses dissatisfaction to allies ahead of reciprocal tariffs... Urges continued negotiations

Donald Trump, President of the United States, expressed his dissatisfaction with the attitudes of global trading partners toward reciprocal tariff negotiations on the 11th (local time), stating, "The United States has been taken advantage of by both friends and enemies for a very long time, and frankly, in many cases, friends were worse than enemies." He also conveyed that each country should continue working hard to negotiate with the United States until the newly set reciprocal tariff deferral deadline of August 1.

Before leaving the White House to visit Kerr County, Texas, which has suffered significant casualties due to torrential rain and flooding, President Trump met with reporters. When asked, "What advice would you give to countries around the world ahead of the upcoming tariff deferral deadline?", he replied, "just keep working hard."

This was interpreted as meaning that countries should strive to reach new trade agreements with the United States before the reciprocal tariff deferral deadline. President Trump reiterated, "We have been taken advantage of by both friends and enemies for a very long time," and added, "Frankly, in many cases, friends were worse than enemies." He emphasized, "So I just want to say, 'Keep working hard. Everything will turn out well.'"

Except for the United Kingdom and Vietnam, which have completed their trade negotiations, President Trump has been sending letters notifying countries of reciprocal tariff rates since the 8th. The content states that if negotiations are not completed before the deferral deadline, the notified tariffs will be imposed. Most countries felt relief, saying that the three-week extension of the tariff deferral deadline from the original 8th to the 1st of the next month gave them more time to protect their interests through negotiations with the United States.

South Korea was notified that the 25% reciprocal tariff announced in the first round on April 2 would still apply. The South Korean government is refraining from emotional responses and plans to do its utmost in negotiations with the United States until August 1.

However, as the US government proposed higher reciprocal tariff rates for many countries compared to the past, some countries that faced unexpectedly high tariffs expressed open resentment, hinting at intensifying trade disputes with the US in the future.

Recently, Brazil, which hosted the BRICS summit, perceived as an 'anti-American' bloc, received a letter on the 9th indicating a sharp increase of its tariff rate from the original 10% to 50%. Canada, which shares a border with the US, was given a 35% tariff rate, 10 percentage points higher than the previous 25%. In particular, in a letter to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil, Trump even notified the initiation of an unfair trade investigation based on Section 301 of US trade law.

In the letter, Trump referred to the trial of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who was accused of plotting a coup after the 2022 Brazilian presidential election, as a 'witch hunt' and suggested that imposing extremely high tariffs could serve as a means of interfering in other countries' internal affairs.

As Brazil, which runs a trade deficit with the US, faced an unexpected 'tariff bomb,' President Lula announced a robust response. "We will fight so that the United States does not impose tariffs on Brazil. If, nevertheless, tariffs are imposed, we will retaliate with a 50% tariff," he stated, demonstrating his resolve to resist. The White House press pool reported that President Trump commented he would "probably talk with Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil someday."

Japan was notified of a 1 percentage point increase to a 25% tariff rate, after which Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made harsher remarks toward the US. According to the Asahi Shimbun and other local media, during a campaign speech supporting the upper house election on the 9th, Ishiba said of US-Japan trade negotiations, "This is a battle for our national interest. How can we tolerate being looked down upon?"

Meanwhile, regarding the letter imposing a 35% tariff on Canada, President Trump said, "We sent it yesterday, and they (Canada) called. It seems the letter was well received."

An Hye-won, Hankyung.com reporter anhw@hankyung.com