Letters and the spirit: Trump pushes global trade into uncharted territory

With the end of the 90-day pause on the imposition of the so-called reciprocal tariffs and the US sending letters, a few things are now clear

As widely expected, United States (US) President Donald Trump on Monday sent letters outlining tariff rates ranging from 25 to 40 per cent to be imposed on imports from over a dozen countries, effective August 1. Countries that have been informed about the new tariffs include Japan and South Korea, which will be charged a 25 per cent tariff on imports aside from the sectoral rates. India did not figure in this exercise, and a statement by Mr Trump indicated that India and the US were close to arriving at a trade deal. From the Indian perspective, this must be