Trump warns South Africa: No delay to August tariff deadline

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he would stick to the August 1 deadline for higher US tariffs to hit South Africa and other countries, refusing to grant an extension. He also revealed plans to impose a 50% duty on copper imports.

This new copper tariff follows an investigation into metal imports and expands the range of sector-specific duties Trump has implemented since returning to office.

“Today we’re doing copper,” he told a cabinet meeting Tuesday. “I believe the tariff on copper, we’re going to make it 50%.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC that the tariff rate would likely take effect by the end of July or on August 1.

Trump also said Washington would soon announce new measures on pharmaceuticals, but officials would give manufacturers time to shift their operations into the U.S.

“We’re going to give people about a year, a year and a half to come in, and after that, they’re going to be tariffed,” he said. “They’re going to be tariffed at a very, very high rate, like 200%.”

In addition to copper and pharmaceuticals, Trump ordered investigations into imports of lumber, semiconductors, and critical minerals—moves that could result in more tariffs.

Lutnick told CNBC that the U.S. would complete its studies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors by the end of the month, after which Trump would announce new policies.

Beyond these sector-specific tariffs, Trump also imposed a broad 10% tariff in April on goods from nearly all trading partners. That tariff was set to rise sharply for dozens of economies, including the European Union and Japan, but Trump delayed its implementation until July 9.

The president this week again delayed their reimposition, pushing it to August 1 while insisting there would be no further delay.

‘No extensions’

“No extensions will be granted,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There will be no change.”

The clarification came after Trump told reporters Monday night that the August 1 deadline was “firm, but not 100% firm.”

In a push for further trade deals, Trump also sent letters to more than a dozen partners on Monday, including key US allies Japan and South Korea.

Products from both countries would be hit with 25% duties, Trump wrote in near-identical documents to leaders in Tokyo and Seoul.

Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa and Malaysia were among other countries facing duties between 25% and 40%.

Most countries receiving the letters so far saw US tariffs at similar or unchanged rates from those threatened in April, although some like Laos and Cambodia received notably lower levels.

In his messages to foreign leaders, Trump warned of further escalation if there was retaliation against his levies.

Lutnick said 15 to 20 more letters could go out in the next two days.

‘Two days off’

Trump insisted Tuesday that “big money will start coming in on August 1.”

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent added at the cabinet meeting that tariff income could exceed $300 billion by year-end.

The Trump administration is under pressure to show results after promising a flurry of deals following its tariff threats.

Trump said Washington was “probably two days off” from sending the EU a letter setting out an updated tariff rate for the bloc.

“They’re very tough, but now they’re being very nice to us,” he said. “We are talking to them.”

So far Washington has only struck two pacts, with Britain and Vietnam, besides an agreement to dial back staggeringly high tit-for-tat levies with China.

Lutnick said he expects to start a “bigger trade conversation” between Washington and Beijing in early August, alongside Bessent and US trade envoy Jamieson Greer.

And US talks with Britain are ongoing over steel and aluminum.

Trump recently raised US tariffs on metal imports, both steel and aluminum, to 50%, while exempting the UK from the increase. However, Washington may also double tariffs on UK metals starting Wednesday if it finds that London has failed to meet the terms of their agreement.

In letters warning of possible tariff hikes on multiple countries, Trump accused them of lacking reciprocity in their trade relationships with the US.