New tariffs on certain goods imposed by the US government will not take effect until August 7, as stated by a government official.
The implementation date for the new US tariffs on imports from various countries, including the EU, has been delayed from August 1 to August 7. This delay was announced after the executive order codifying the new country-specific tariff rates was signed on July 31, 2025 [1].
The delay aims to ensure a smooth implementation of the new tariff framework, which covers over 60 trading partners with rates ranging from 10% to 41%. The delay provides time to finalize administrative details and establish clear guidelines for enforcement, as well as offering a grace period for goods already in transit [3].
Originally, the tariffs were set to take effect on August 1, as announced by US President Donald Trump. The President justifies the new tariffs, stating that there is an imbalance in trade with other countries that needs to be addressed [2].
Trump's argument is that trade deficits with other countries pose a national security risk, thus constituting a national emergency. This justification led to the imposition of a 35 percent tariff on Canadian imports, higher than the 25 percent for other countries, starting from August 1 [2].
However, the higher tariff on Canada was met with disagreement from the Canadian government. Trump justified the higher tariff by claiming that Canada is not doing enough to combat drug trafficking [2].
It is important to note that the appeals court is still discussing the legality of many of these tariffs. In late May, an appeals court temporarily lifted the legal block on almost all of Trump's tariffs, which a lower court had ordered [4]. However, a decision by the New York court denied Trump's government the authority to impose sweeping tariffs under the guise of a national emergency [5].
The new tariffs will affect not only the EU but also other trading partners such as the UK, Switzerland, Japan, and many others. A 10 percent tariff will be applied to imports from various countries, although no specific countries have been mentioned [2].
Regarding the tariffs on imports from the EU specifically, the US and EU had reached a political agreement shortly before the original August 1 deadline to implement a 15% tariff ceiling and exemptions on certain imports, replacing higher previous tariffs (25% on EU cars and 10% on other EU products) [1]. However, the EU is awaiting official executive orders from Washington to legally enact these agreements.
In summary, the delay from August 1 to August 7 was due to the finalization and signing of the executive order on July 31, 2025, which sets the new tariff rates, and to ensure administrative readiness for enforcing the tariffs and handling exceptions for goods in transit [3][1]. The delay also provides a grace period for goods already in transit, which will not be subject to the new tariffs if entered for consumption before a set deadline (October 5) [3]. The new tariffs will take effect on August 7, affecting over 60 trading partners with rates ranging from 10% to 41%.
- The delay in the implementation of the new US tariffs on various countries, including the EU, offers a chance for the finance industry to assess the potential impact of these tariffs on their investments and adjust their portfolios accordingly.
- The politics of trade may continue to be heated as the implementation of the new tariff framework, covering over 60 trading partners, looms, with the delay from August 1 to August 7 providing a brief reprieve for ongoing negotiations.
