U.S. President Donald Trump has announced 30 per cent tariffs on imports from the European Union and Mexico, effective August 1, intensifying global trade tensions.

In separate letters released on Truth Social, Trump said the tariffs aim to push both partners into renegotiating trade terms with the U.S. ahead of the deadline. He warned the EU that unless it offers full market access to U.S. goods, additional tariff hikes could follow.

“The European Union will allow complete, open Market Access to the United States—or whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added on the 30 per cent that we charge,” Trump said in his letter.

The move has drawn concern from EU member states, particularly Germany, which is urging for a swift deal to protect its export-driven industries.

In a letter to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump praised Mexico’s efforts on border control but criticized its failure to dismantle drug cartels. “Mexico still has not stopped the Cartels who are trying to turn all of North America into a Narco-Trafficking Playground,” he wrote.

The new tariffs are part of Trump’s broader “America First” trade policy. On Monday, he issued a similar notice to South Korea, informing President Lee Jae Myung that a 25 per cent tariff on Korean imports will now take effect on August 1—postponed from the earlier schedule.

Speaking at the White House before departing for flood-hit Texas, Trump advised countries in negotiations to “keep working hard,” reiterating his view that the U.S. has long been exploited in global trade by both allies and adversaries.