WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Yonhap) – Confusion is mounting in Washington over when and how President Donald Trump will raise his new global tariff from 10% to 15%, as senior economic and trade officials publicly temper his declaration of an “immediate” increase applied to “the entire world.”
The 10% global tariff, imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act as a five‑month across‑the‑board levy on all U.S. trading partners after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs,” took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Feb. 24. Just a day after signing the proclamation on Feb. 20, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the rate would be lifted to 15% and applied worldwide “immediately.”
However, subsequent comments from key advisers have cast doubt on both the timing and the breadth of the planned increase.
Kevin Hassett, chairman of the White House National Economic Council and one of Trump’s top economic advisers, told reporters at the White House on Feb. 25 that the schedule for moving to a 15% rate is not yet fixed.
Asked when the 15% global tariff would take effect, Hassett replied, “I think that’s still being discussed,” adding that the decision “depends on the state of existing negotiations and existing agreements.”
His remarks suggest that both the timing and even the implementation of the 15% rate could be contingent on how current trade talks and agreements with partners such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and the European Union evolve. That stands in contrast to Trump’s portrayal of the higher rate as an immediate, blanket measure.
Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative, also appeared to point toward a more limited application. Speaking earlier the same day on Fox Business, Greer said, “We currently impose a 10% tariff. It will go up to 15% for some, and then it may go higher for other countries.”
His reference to “some” countries invited the interpretation that not all U.S. trading partners will automatically be subject to the 15% rate, hinting at a selective increase rather than a uniform global hike.
In a separate interview with Bloomberg TV, Greer confirmed that “the 10% (global tariff) is in effect as we discussed,” and said, “There will be a proclamation to raise it to 15%,” qualifying the statement with the phrase “where appropriate.” The wording left room for discretion either in the timing of the move or in which countries will be targeted.
The nuanced comments from Hassett and Greer mark a noticeable shift in tone from Trump’s sweeping social‑media pronouncements. The president has insisted that the jump to 15% is an “immediately effective measure” and that it will apply “worldwide,” while his advisers now emphasize ongoing internal deliberations and conditional application.
It is unusual in the current U.S. administration, where Trump has exercised dominant control over policy direction, for senior officials to repeatedly offer public descriptions of a major trade measure that appear more tentative than the president’s own statements.
Behind the scenes, the administration is believed to be weighing the legal and economic risks of further escalation. The newly introduced 10% global tariff, like the earlier reciprocal tariff regime, rests on the emergency authorities of Section 122 and could itself become the subject of fresh court challenges.
Against that backdrop, officials are seen as reviewing both the feasibility and the timing of any move from 10% to 15%, balancing Trump’s hard‑line rhetoric with the constraints of existing trade agreements and the prospect of renewed litigation.
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