Trump Plans Tariff Hikes After July 9 Deadline

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Trump Plans Tariff Hikes After July 9 Deadline \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ President Donald Trump says he will end the 90-day global tariff pause on July 9 unless nations strike trade deals. In a wide-ranging interview, Trump also discussed a potential TikTok deal, military action in Iran, ongoing immigration plans, and trade negotiations with China. Key takeaways highlight his assertive policy approach and pending global decisions.

Quick Looks

Tariff deadline: Pause ends July 9; countries face new levies
Penalty letters: Admin to notify nations with up to 50% tariffs
TikTok update: Wealthy group interested in U.S. acquisition
Iran claims: Trump says U.S. “obliterated” nuclear sites
Immigration: Temporary pass suggested for farm, hotel labor
China trade: Praises rare earth deal, warns of tariff enforcement
Security leaks: Trump wants leakers of Iran intel prosecuted
Media pressure: Journalists could be asked to reveal sources
Sanctions policy: May lift Iran-China oil sanctions if Iran complies
Bilateral limits: Notes difficulty in pursuing 90 trade deals in 90 days

Deep Look

President Donald Trump confirmed in a weekend interview that his administration will not extend the 90-day global pause on tariffs beyond July 9, signaling a renewed escalation in his trade strategy. Speaking with Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” Trump said nations that haven’t finalized trade deals with the U.S. by the deadline will face punitive tariffs—ranging from 10% to as high as 50%.

“Letters are going out pretty soon,” Trump said. “We’ll look at how a country treats us—are they good, are they not so good. Some countries, we don’t care. We’ll just send a high number out.” The president emphasized that countries continuing to trade with the U.S. without fair reciprocity will effectively be notified: “Congratulations, you’re going to pay a 25%, 35%, 50%, or 10% tariff.”

The move would mark a sharp shift from the temporary trade truce Trump initiated earlier this year, which aimed to give nations time to renegotiate terms under his “America First” economic doctrine. Initially ambitious, Trump’s target of 90 trade deals in 90 days now appears to be a stretch. “There are 200 countries—you can’t talk to all of them,” he admitted. Still, White House trade officials say negotiations are active with several top economic partners.

The president’s renewed tariff policy is just one prong of a multi-faceted international agenda he laid out in his wide-ranging interview. From his push to force a sale of TikTok to his assertive posture toward Iran, Trump continues to embrace a muscular foreign policy and economic nationalism as defining elements of his second term.

TikTok’s Future in American Hands?

Trump confirmed that a group of wealthy U.S. investors is preparing a bid to acquire TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app. While he provided few details, Trump hinted the deal could receive approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping. “We have a buyer for TikTok. I think I’ll need, probably, China approval, and I think President Xi will probably do it,” Trump said.

He declined to name the investors involved, calling them “a group of very wealthy people,” and promised more details in “about two weeks.” This timeline echoes his past responses regarding key decisions, including military action and executive orders.

Earlier this month, Trump issued his third executive order to keep TikTok operational in the U.S. for an additional 90 days after the Supreme Court upheld a congressional ban on the platform. The app briefly went dark in January until the president’s first-day order allowed it to remain live while ownership discussions proceeded.

Trump: U.S. ‘Obliterated’ Iran’s Nuclear Sites

Turning to national security, President Trump declared that U.S. military strikes in Iran completely destroyed Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure, contradicting intelligence leaks that suggest only temporary setbacks. “It was obliterated like nobody’s ever seen before,” Trump said, claiming that Iran was weeks away from acquiring nuclear weapons when he ordered the operation. “That meant the end of their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time.”

Iranian leaders have rejected Trump’s version of events. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the U.S. president of exaggerating the damage to “cover up and conceal the truth.” Iran’s U.N. ambassador reiterated that its enrichment program is peaceful and will continue in line with international law.

Meanwhile, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi confirmed “severe damage” to Iranian facilities but stopped short of describing total destruction. Grossi noted that despite political pressure, the IAEA had no evidence that Iran had reached or neared nuclear weapons capability.

Trump responded forcefully to leaks of the intelligence assessment, calling for prosecution of the leakers and stating that journalists who received the information “should be asked who their source was.” The White House confirmed an active investigation is underway.

A “Temporary Pass” for Critical Immigrant Labor?

While reaffirming his tough stance on immigration, President Trump signaled a more flexible approach for industries heavily dependent on migrant labor. “I’m the strongest immigration guy there’s ever been, but I’m also the strongest farmer guy,” Trump said, suggesting that his administration is crafting a “temporary pass” for farm and hotel operators to avoid disruptive raids.

The idea, he said, is to ensure that hardworking, non-criminal immigrants can continue contributing to essential sectors without fear of deportation, while authorities still target violent offenders and those violating national security laws.

This nuanced stance reflects tension between Trump’s broader crackdown and concerns from the agriculture, hospitality, and restaurant sectors. Earlier this month, Trump ordered a pause on industry-specific raids, only to have Homeland Security clarify that “no safe spaces” exist for any employer found to be sheltering criminals.

China Trade: Tariffs Will Continue

Trump also discussed ongoing trade talks with China. He praised a new rare earth mineral export agreement but stressed that tariffs remain a necessary tool for economic balance. “Getting along well with China is a very good thing,” he said. “But China’s going to be paying a lot of tariffs—we have a big deficit, they understand that.”

In a potentially conciliatory note, Trump said he would consider lifting sanctions on Iranian oil exports to China if Tehran can “demonstrate they’re peaceful and will not cause harm.”

When asked about Chinese cyber-espionage and intellectual property theft, Trump replied sharply: “You don’t think we do that to them?”—a remark that seemed to acknowledge mutual cyber operations between superpowers.