President Donald Trump has said he is not considering delaying his 9 July deadline for higher tariffs to resume. He has renewed his threat to cut off talks and impose duty rates on several nations, including Japan, according to news agencies.
“No, I’m not thinking about the pause,” Trump said on Tuesday when asked whether he would extend the negotiating period with trading partners. “I’ll be writing letters to a lot of countries.”
Sri Lanka is among the countries affected by the unprecedented increase in American tariffs.
The reciprocal tax imposed on Sri Lankan exports by President Trump is high as 44 percent. This new rate includes a 10 percent base tax already levied by the US, bringing the total tax burden on Sri Lankan exports to 54 percent.
Cabinet spokesman Dr. Nalinda Jayathissa yesterday said that the government hoped for some relief when the 90-day suspension lapsed next week. Addressing the post-Cabinet press briefing, Dr. Jayathissa said that the government made representations to the new US administration in this regard.