Trump warns of more tariff letters and insists August 1 deadline is final

The United States will ban the sale of farmland to buyers from China and other countries the U.S. government considers “enemies.” This was announced Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who cited threats to national and food security to justify the ban, which also extends to countries like Russia and Iran.

Around the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump posted a message on his social media platform, Truth Social, which could be interpreted as a reflection of both the isolationist trade policy of the United States and its unpredictability. In the post, Trump promised that the new deadline for the tariffs — set for August 1 — would be final, with no further delays. The tariffs, aimed at dozens of U.S. trade partners, are part of a trade war he reignited on Monday.

First, on April 2, he announced a set of so-called “reciprocal” tariffs. Then, he ordered a 90-day delay in their enforcement to allow countries time to reach trade agreements with the U.S. — agreements that have not materialized (except for two, with the United Kingdom and Vietnam, and a truce with China). Then on Monday, just two days before the July 9 deadline, he kicked the can down the road again, setting a new date: August 1.

“Tariffs will start being paid on August 1,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday. “There has been no change to this date, and there will be no change. In other words, all money will be due and payable starting August 1, 2025. No extensions will be granted.”

Trump’s erratic decisions on tariffs have had serious effects on markets and the global economy, and at this point, his statements do little to inspire confidence. It’s entirely possible he could change his mind again— perhaps multiple times — in the 24 days remaining before the new deadline. On Monday, before the dinner he hosted for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump told reporters that the August 1 date was “not 100% firm.”

In his post, Trump also promised to send “today [Tuesday], tomorrow, and for the next short period of time” new letters to trade partners, like the ones sent out Monday. The recipients were 14 countries, which received letters addressed to their heads of state and signed by the U.S. president. In them, Trump laid out the tariffs they are now facing — ranging from 25% for countries like South Korea and Japan, to 40% for Laos and Myanmar.

All the letters were quite similar and included an invitation for those trade partners to “participate in the extraordinary economy of the United States,” provided they were willing to move past “trade deficits” caused by “tariff, and non-tariff, policies and trade barriers,” which, the letters added, “are unfortunately far from reciprocal.”

All of these letters were very similar, and they all agreed on inviting these trading partners to “participate in the extraordinary American economy” provided they agreed to move away from the “trade deficits” caused by “tariffs, and regulatory, non-tariff, and trade barriers.” The letter adds: “Our relationship has been, unfortunately, far from reciprocal.”

Trump also warned that if any of the countries respond with tariffs on U.S. goods, Washington will impose an additional duty of equal value, on top of the rates announced Monday. The announcement triggered an immediate drop in markets, which are also sensitive to the uncertainty surrounding Trump’s economic decision-making.

None of the new tariffs affect or replace those already in place, such as the 50% tariffs on aluminum and steel or the 25% tariff on automobiles.

National security

The Secretary of Agriculture’s announcement of the ban on Chinese and other foreign buyers — who the U.S. government deems “enemies” — aligns with the same spirit as Trump’s tariff war: both are driven by the “America First” creed that underpins Trump’s economic agenda.

To underscore the urgency of national security concerns, Secretary Brooke Rollins appeared at a joint press conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. All three were also scheduled to attend Trump’s sixth Cabinet meeting at the White House later that day. Together, they announced executive actions to block these foreign buyers from acquiring land in the U.S., and to tighten security measures for existing landowners — not just from China, but also from Russia and Iran.

According to figures shared at the press conference, Chinese-owned entities hold roughly 107,000 hectares (about 264,000 acres) of U.S. farmland. About half of that belongs to a single company: Smithfield Foods, acquired in 2013 by WH Group, a Chinese conglomerate led by tycoon Wan Long. By 2021, that figure had risen to 384,000 acres.

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