The Trump administration came under fire on Tuesday after publishing letters warning of new tariffs on foreign imports, including one with a high-profile blunder that quickly spread online.
President Donald Trump published the letters in full on his Truth Social account, warning at least 14 countries that steep tariffs would be reinstated if new trade agreements were not finalized by August 1.
In a letter addressed to Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanović, the text correctly referred to her as “Her Excellency” but mistakenly opened with “Dear Mr President.” The error drew widespread ridicule online.
Although Trump swiftly deleted the post and uploaded a corrected version reading “Dear Madam President,” screenshots of the original mistake circulated across social media.
The letters were also sent to the leaders of Thailand, Cambodia, Serbia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, South Africa, Laos, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, and Tunisia, underscoring the administration’s escalating trade pressure.
In April, the White House imposed a sweeping 10% tariff on imports from nearly all US trading partners. Additional higher tariffs on dozens of countries were announced soon after but were paused temporarily until July 9.
This week, Trump pushed the enforcement deadline again to August 1, stating there would be no further extensions. “No extensions will be granted,” he posted. “There will be no change.”
Just a day earlier, however, Trump had described the deadline as “firm, but not 100 percent firm,” leaving the door open for last-minute negotiations. “I would say final but if they call with a different offer, and I like it, then we’ll do it,” he said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent projected that tariff revenues could surpass $300 billion by the end of the year.
Trump also signaled that a notice was imminent to inform the European Union of updated tariffs targeting the bloc. “We’re probably two days off,” he told reporters, according to AFP.
The administration faces mounting pressure to convert its aggressive tariff threats into actual trade deals as the deadlines near and global partners consider their next moves in the deepening standoff.
