Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indicated on Tuesday that the tariff levels announced on Wednesday would represent the upper limit. He further stated that nations would subsequently have the opportunity to reduce these tariffs. In a March 18 Fox Business interview, Secretary Bessent alluded to the “Dirty 15,” identifying the 15% of countries responsible for the majority of U.S. trade volume while simultaneously imposing substantial tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American goods. The specific countries were not disclosed.
