‘We’ve been taken advantage of…’: Trump advises countries in trade talks with US to ‘keep working hard’ ahead of August 1 deadline

US President Donald Trump has told countries that are in trade talks with the US to “keep working hard” as the August 1 deadline for negotiations gets closer. He repeated his claim that for many years, America has been treated unfairly by other countries including its friends. Speaking to the media before leaving for flood-affected areas in Texas, Trump said that South Korea, Japan, and some other nations are trying to make deals with the US to avoid heavy new tariffs that may begin on August 1.

“I think just keep working hard. You know, we’ve been taken advantage of for many, many years by countries, both friend and foe. And frankly, the friends have been worse than the foes in many cases,” he said during a press availability at the White House. He added, “Just keep working. Everything will work out in the end.”

On Monday, Trump sent a letter to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, saying that the U.S. will start charging 25 per cent tariffs on South Korean goods from August 1. These new charges were originally planned to begin this Wednesday, but Trump had paused them for 90 days.

Trump first announced this plan in April as part of his push to reduce trade barriers, cut the U.S. trade deficit, and support American manufacturing jobs.

At the same time, U.S. and South Korean officials met in Seoul to talk about improving their alliance. Both countries said they want to make their partnership stronger, more equal, and better prepared for the future.

The meeting comes as the Trump administration continues to ask allies to share more of the costs and focus on countering China’s growing influence.

In a joint statement, both countries said: “The two sides discussed how to strengthen the U.S.-South Korea alliance into a future-focused, strategic partnership that benefits both sides, especially as regional security challenges grow.”

(With IANS inputs)

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