US President Donald Trump has said he would announce new tariffs on semiconductors “over the next week" in continuation of his push to impose punishing levies to address US trade issues. 

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“The tariffs will be in place in the not distant future," Trump said, referring to sector-specific semiconductor levies that would follow similar measures for steel, aluminum and automobiles. 

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When he was asked what the rate for semiconductors would be, he said: “I’m going to be announcing it over the next week."

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A day earlier, the US president said that no country would be “getting off the hook" on tariffs. 

“NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook’… especially not China, which, by far, treats us the worst!" Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social on Sunday (April 13). 

“We are taking a look at Semiconductors and the WHOLE ELECTRONICS SUPPLY CHAIN in the upcoming National Security Tariff Investigations," he said. 

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Trump has said he will give “very specific" details on Monday, and his commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, said semiconductor tariffs would likely be in place “in a month or two."

A 'U-turn'? 

On April 9, Trump took what critics said was a "U-turn" as he announced that all the countries in his list will get a 90-day pause on tariffs except China. In fact, he announced a further 125 per cent raise on tariffs on China. As comments raised that the US president unexpectedly took a flip, the White House indicated that the 90-day pause was always part of Trump's plan. 

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'It's not a negotiation until it is'

Trump was asked in the White House if pausing the tariffs was a part of the plan - and that too to make other countries beg for the deal - then why did he continue telling his team that it's not? 

"A lot of times it's not a negotiation until it is," the US president said. 

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(With inputs from agencies)