On Monday, President Donald Trump sent official letters to the governments of multiple countries announcing new tariffs specifically for their nations’ exports to the United States.
Trump posted images of the letters to his Truth Social account, which were addressed to the heads of state for Japan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, South Africa and South Korea. The letters announced that the U.S. would be imposing tariffs ranging from 25% to 40%, and were framed as a take-it-or-leave-it offer complete with Trump’s signature trait of odd capitalization and exaggeration. U.S. News & World Report correspondent Oliver Knox described the letters as “hard to follow” and that finer details remain “unclear.”
“We invite you to participate in the extraordinary Economy of the United States, the Number One Market in the World, by far,” Trump wrote in his letter to Laos, using language identical to all of the other letters save for the tariff rate. “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 40% that we charge.”
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The letters were met with widespread mockery and ridicule on social media. Hedge fund manager Spencer Hakimian tweeted: “This guy is a senile, geriatric, a——. A complete and utter buffoon as President of the United States.”
“You can’t make this up: President Trump is now posting individual ‘trade letters’ to countries with new tariff rates,” tweeted the account for financial publication The Kobeissi Letter. “Meanwhile, the S&P 500’s losses are accelerating to -1% on the day. Did Liberation Day part 2 just begin?”
Other commentators pointed out that Trump’s letters were technically unlawful. Aaron Fritschner, who is the deputy chief of staff for Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) observed that Trump’s tariff letter to South Korea was a violation of the KORUS trade agreement between South Korea and the United States that was ratified by Congress in 2007, under former President George W. Bush’s administration.
“The Constitution gives control of trade policy entirely to Congress, the president has no legal authority to do this,” Fritschner wrote.
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