President Donald Trump said the US would begin levying a 50% tariff on copper imports from Aug. 1, confirming a move that will hurt American producers of everything from automobiles to appliances.The higher-than-expected levy was signaled by Trump in comments to reporters on Tuesday,

President Donald Trump sent out tariff letters to six smaller U.S. trading partners on Wednesday with a pledge to announce import taxes on other countries later in the day.

In the letters, which were posted on Truth Social, Trump warned countries that they would face even higher tariffs if they retaliated by increasing their own import taxes.

U.S. President Donald Trump has launched a global trade war with an array of tariffs that target individual products and countries. Trump has set a baseline tariff of 10% on all imports to the United States,

Trump also on Tuesday said he planned to impose tariffs of up to 200 per cent on drug imports, beginning after a transition period that could last up to a year and a half.