President Trump of the United States has instructed for a comprehensive investigation to be conducted regarding customs duties. Trump announced that VAT would be considered as a tariff. The studies are planned to be completed by April 1st. President Donald Trump signed a presidential decision regarding the implementation of reciprocal customs duties based on the principle of reciprocation between countries. Following the signing of the decision instructing the development of a comprehensive plan against non-reciprocal arrangements in the commercial relations of the United States, Trump made a statement. Trump stated that he decided to implement reciprocal tariffs to ensure justice in trade and emphasized, “Whatever countries apply to the US, we will apply the same to them.” Addressing countries that utilize the VAT system, Trump argued that this system is much more “punitive” than tariffs. President Trump stated, “VAT will be considered as a tariff.” “COMPANIES WILL RETURN TO THE US” Trump stressed the need for countries to reduce or terminate customs duties on the US, mentioning that no tariffs would be imposed if a product is manufactured in the US. Trump said, “Many companies will return to producing their products in the US because there won’t be any customs duties.” “PRICES MAY INCREASE IN THE SHORT TERM” Trump indicated that the 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports would be surpassed by this plan, explaining that tariffs on cars, chips, and drugs would also exceed this plan. When asked about whether prices would rise due to tariffs, Trump stated that he believed employment would increase, prices might slightly rise in the short term, but would eventually decrease. Trump also pointed out that interest rates would eventually decrease, reiterating that this goes hand in hand with tariffs. PLANNED TO BE COMPLETED BY APRIL It is reported that US Trade Secretary nominee Lutnick will individually examine each country regarding reciprocal tariffs. Lutnick noted that they planned to complete their work by April 1st. Furthermore, a statement from the White House regarding the reciprocal tariff plan highlighted the lack of reciprocity as a reason for the “significant and lasting” trade deficit of the US. The statement mentioned that the US has been in a trade deficit every year since 1975, with the merchandise trade deficit exceeding 1 trillion dollars in 2024. It was also noted that non-reciprocal taxes such as the digital service tax cost US companies over 2 billion dollars annually.