Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, VITAL BRIEFING—Trump: 150 countries facing same tariff rate, (Jul 18, 2025)

By Thomas Thompson

While reaching a significant and fairly comprehensive trade deal with Indonesia, similar breakthroughs with the rest of the world appear to be eluding Trump administration negotiators as stated deal deadlines draw near.

During the past week, Donald Trump hailed a major trade deal he personally struck with Indonesia, a country with a population of 280 million, a burgeoning middle class, as well as stark trade imbalance where goods exported to the U.S. triple the value of American goods imported. Still, progress on trade deals with other nations appears to be unclear, stalled or nonexistent. In this Vital Briefing, Thomas Thompson explores the following:

• The U.S.’ one-size-fits-all approach to tariff rates for a majority of the world’s nations.

• Key features of the U.S.-Indonesia deal which entail an 19% tariff on Indonesian goods imported into the U.S., zero tariffs for U.S. goods imported by Indonesia, and the elimination of significant non-tariff barriers for U.S. goods entering Indonesia. The potential of what this deal might portend for ongoing discussions with other trading partners is also considered.

• The continued uncertainty and lack of details surrounding the more-or-less permanent arrangements previously reached with the U.K. and Vietnam, which includes which commodities are covered and the confirmation of applicable tariff rates.

• The lack of new information concerning negotiation terms with the U.S.’s four largest trading partners – Mexico, Canada, China, and European Union, as well as a similar status regarding discussions with India, Japan, and Korea.

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