Trump’s Tariffs Fully Implemented as He Signs Executive Orders to Enhance Coal Production – Live Updates on US Politics

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday that aims to block the enforcement of state laws passed to reduce the use of fossil fuels and combat climate change.

This action is part of numerous attempts by Trump’s administration to enhance domestic energy production and counter largely Democratic-driven initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions. The order followed a suite of regulations issued just hours earlier to bolster coal production.

The directive instructs the US Attorney General to identify state legislation relating to climate change, ESG initiatives, environmental justice, and carbon emissions, and to take measures to invalidate them.

“Many states have introduced or are proposing onerous and ideologically driven ‘climate change’ or energy regulations that jeopardize American energy supremacy and threaten our economic and national security,” stated the order.

Trump referenced specific laws from New York and Vermont that penalize fossil fuel companies for their contributions to climate change, California’s cap-and-trade system, and ongoing lawsuits by states aimed at holding energy corporations accountable for their impact on global warming.

European Union member states are predicted to endorse the bloc’s first retaliatory measures against Trump’s tariffs on Wednesday, joining Canada and China in a response that could trigger a global trade conflict, Reuters has reported.

The EU, comprising 27 nations, is currently facing 25% import tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as overarching tariffs of 20% on almost all other products under Trump’s policy targeting countries perceived as erecting high barriers to US imports.

The European Commission, responsible for coordinating EU trade policies, proposed additional duties of primarily 25% on a variety of US imports as a response to the US metal tariffs. It is still evaluating its response to the automotive and broader tariffs.

The targeted imports include motorcycles, poultry, fruits, wood, clothing, and dental floss, according to a document obtained by Reuters. These products amounted to approximately 21 billion euros ($23 billion) last year, indicating that the EU’s counteraction will come against goods valued less than the 26 billion euros of EU metal exports impacted by US tariffs.

The new tariffs are set to be implemented in phases on April 15, May 16, and December 1.

Trump’s aggressive tariffs have unsettled a global trading paradigm that has been in place for decades, incited recession worries, and erased trillions in market valuations for major companies.

Since Trump unveiled his tariffs last Wednesday, the S&P 500 has recorded its largest decline since the index’s inception in the 1950s. It nears a bear market status, characterized as a 20% decrease from its latest peak, according to Reuters.

In addition, global benchmark bonds, considered safer assets, have become entangled in the market turmoil on Wednesday, signaling potential forced selling and raising alarm among investors.

European equities took a hit on Wednesday as US tariffs were enforced, and US stock futures indicated further challenges ahead following a dismal day for the majority of Asian markets. However, Chinese stocks defied the downward trend, bolstered by state support for the struggling market.

Good morning and welcome to the live blog on US politics. I’m Tom Ambrose, here to keep you updated with the latest news in the coming hours.

We begin with the announcement that President Donald Trump’s newly implemented tariffs are now fully operational.

On April 2, Trump revealed the latest series of tariffs, indicating that the US would impose a minimum tax of 10% on nearly all of its trading partners and even higher rates on nations he claims maintain trade surpluses with the US.

The base 10% tariff has already commenced, while Trump’s increased import tax rates for various countries took effect at midnight Washington DC time as reported by AP.

The maximum tariffs reach up to 50%, targeting smaller economies with minimal trade with the US, such as the African nation Lesotho.

Additional rates include 47% on imports from Madagascar, 46% on Vietnam, 32% on Taiwan, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan, and 20% on the European Union. Many of these new tariffs are extensions of prior trade policies.

Last week, Trump declared a 34% tariff on China, in addition to a 20% tax already placed on Chinese imports earlier this year. Furthermore, he has threatened to add an extra 50% tax on Chinese products due to Beijing’s proposed counteractions. This could accumulate a staggering total of 104% tariffs against China.

In response, China announced it would take “resolute measures” to protect its trading rights, but did not provide specific details on its response.

In related updates:

• Trump signed four executive orders aimed at enhancing coal production yesterday. The directives instruct government agencies to eliminate all policies seen as discriminatory against coal, including lifting the lease moratorium on federal land, speeding up funding for coal projects, protecting coal power plants set to close, and investigating any local governments that “discriminate against coal”.

• During his announcement, Trump sought to alleviate recession concerns, stating tariffs are generating $2 billion daily. The White House also noted that nearly 70 countries have expressed interest in discussions to reduce or delay their tariffs.

• A federal judge ruled that the White House’s decision to exclude the Associated Press from its press pool is unconstitutional. This ruling follows a controversy from two months prior when an AP reporter was blocked from the Oval Office after the outlet continued using the term “Gulf of Mexico” following Trump’s executive order renaming it to “Gulf of America.”

• The US aims to reclaim control over the Panama Canal from Chinese interests, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. His remarks came during a visit to Panama, which remains unsettled by Trump’s threats. Shortly after Hegseth’s visit, the Chinese embassy in Panama described his comments as part of a “sensationalistic campaign” to undermine Chinese-Panamanian cooperation.

• A New York judge will hear arguments tomorrow regarding the legality of Trump’s deportations of Venezuelan immigrants, a day after the Supreme Court ruled that immigrant rights advocates had incorrectly filed their case in the wrong state. Post-ruling, the ACLU has refiled its lawsuit in Manhattan.

• Shortly after the IRS formalized a cooperation agreement to share tax data of undocumented immigrants with Homeland Security, the agency’s acting head announced her resignation. Melanie Krause, the acting IRS commissioner, becomes the third individual to lead the agency since Trump’s inauguration in January.