President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will not extend a tariff suspension beyond the next ten days unless countries currently subject to U.S. trade measures reach a new agreement with Washington.
According to a report published by the Associated Press on June 30, the U.S. government plans to notify affected countries that the current tariff freeze will expire on July 9. The suspension, which was initially granted for a 90-day period, will not be renewed without progress on trade talks.
Citing the same report, the notification letters are expected to be sent before the July 9 deadline.
Speaking to Fox News on June 29, Donald Trump said he is reviewing how each of the affected countries has treated the United States and suggested that, for some, the tariffs will be enforced in full. “For certain countries, we don’t care. We will apply the tariffs as planned,” he said.
Back on April 2, Donald Trump announced a new round of import tariffs targeting several countries that export goods to the U.S. market. These tariffs were initially set at 10 percent and came with a 90-day grace period, allowing room for negotiations. The grace period runs from April 9 through July 9. Cambodia is among the countries affected and currently faces a 49 percent U.S. tariff on certain goods.
In response to the ongoing dispute, Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce issued a statement on June 26 following a bilateral meeting with the U.S. held via video conference on June 25. The ministry said both sides had agreed to submit additional proposals and prepare for a new round of negotiations.
The same statement confirmed that Cambodia and the United States remain committed to working together to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.
So far, five rounds of trade negotiations have been held between the two countries. Two took place in Cambodia, another two in the United States, and the most recent was conducted online. Despite these talks, no concrete agreement has yet been reached in Cambodia’s favor.
Khun Tharo, program manager at the Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights, told The Cambodia Daily that failure to secure a trade deal with the United States would have serious consequences for Cambodia’s export sector and its broader economy.
Khun Tharo warned that delays in U.S. trade negotiations are a long-term concern, particularly for Cambodia’s garment and footwear industry. The sector employs more than one million workers across the country, many of whom depend on stable export access to the American market.
He added that while no country in the garment sector has yet secured a final trade agreement with the United States, Vietnam may be in a stronger position to gain favorable terms compared to Cambodia.
