The tariffs, he said, were a response. The base tariff of 10 percent on almost all US imports will be imposed by April 5, the additional reciprocal tariffs on countries will kick in on April 9.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a range of tariffs targeting almost all countries that the United States trades with including Afghanistan.
Trump announced the tariffs in an executive order alongside an address in the Rose Garden at the White House on Wednesday.
In the executive order, Trump said while the US trading policy has been built on the principle of reciprocity, taxes and barriers on US products by its trading partners had hurt the US.
The tariffs, he said, were a response. The base tariff of 10 percent on almost all US imports will be imposed by April 5, the additional reciprocal tariffs on countries will kick in on April 9.
During his address, Trump made the argument that the US is charging its trading partners with smaller tariffs compared with the tariffs and non-tariff barriers that the partners impose on the US.