Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick predicts action on trade talks before Aug. 1 tariff deadline

The United States will not extend the pause for the introduction of tariffs, and the tariffs will come into effect in August. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed confidence that the Trump administration will conclude trade agreements with partners in the coming weeks, before high tariffs come into effect against dozens of countries.

Lutnick confirmed that the tariffs will come into effect on August 1.

The EU ambassadors are to meet next week to develop a contingency plan in the event of a no-deal with US President Donald Trump.

According to the agency, the vast majority prefers to continue negotiations with the United States to find a way out of the situation before August 1 (the day when the 30% duty is to take effect). Last week's talks in Washington have not yet brought any steady progress.

They will continue over the next two weeks.

The United States will now seek to impose a virtually universal tariff on goods exceeding 10%.

In general, it will amount to a 10% tariff on smaller countries and higher tariffs on the nation’s larger trading partners.

President Trump has set an Aug. 1 deadline for the nation’s trading partners to carve out a new deal or face higher tariffs on their imports.

He said that in general, it will amount to a 10% tariff on smaller countries and higher tariffs on the nation's larger trading partners.

Reference Sources

1. newsukraine - United States imposes tariffs after August 1
2. newsukraine - Trade deal with Trump in jeopardy, EU ambassadors to prepare response plan - Bloomberg
3. washingtontimes - Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick predicts action on trade talks before Aug. 1 tariff deadline
4. cnbc - Aug. 1 is 'hard deadline' for Trump's tariffs, Commerce Secretary Lutnick says
5. usnews - Commerce Secretary Lutnick Says He Is Confident US Will Secure Trade Deal With EU

Global hack on Microsoft product hits U.S., state agencies, researchers say

(Source: Shutterstock)

Dozens of US government agencies and businesses are under attack after hackers exploited a major security flaw in widely used Microsoft server software to launch a global attack on government agencies and businesses in the past few days, according to state officials and private researchers.

The US government and partners in Canada and Australia are investigating the compromise of SharePoint Servers, which provide a platform for sharing and managing documents. Tens of thousands of such Servers are at risk, experts said, and Microsoft has issued no patch for the flaw, leaving victims around the world scrambling to respond.

The attack is classed as a 'Zero-Day' attack, so called because it targeted a previously unknown vulnerability, and is only the latest Cybersecurity embarrassment for Microsoft.

Last year, the company was faulted by a panel of US government and industry experts for lapses that enabled a 2023 targeted Chinese Hack of us government Emails, including those of then-Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

This most recent attack compromises only those servers housed within an organisation, not those in the cloud, such as Microsoft 365, officials said.

Microsoft has suggested that users make modifications to SharePoint server programs or simply unplug them from the Internet to stanch the breach.

Reference Sources

1. washingtonpost - Global hack on Microsoft product hits U.S., state agencies, researchers say
2. dailymail - Global hack on Microsoft exposes US agencies, energy giants

EU commissioner shocked by dangers of some goods sold on Shein and Temu

(Source: Shutterstock)

The European Union's Justice Commissioner, Michael McGrath, has expressed concern over the toxicity and dangers of some goods being sold on Chinese E-Commerce platforms, Shein and Temu, amid a crackdown on the popular Chinese retail platforms. With 12 million Low-Value parcels each day coming into the EU from Online retailers outside the bloc, McGrath has vowed to crack down on the sale of goods that blatantly break the law.

Among the worst examples McGrath came across were baby Soothers with beads that fell off easily, posing a choking hazard because they did not have a regulation-size hole to enable a baby who accidentally swallowed one to continue getting air.

Other dangerous products included children's raincoats with toxic chemicals, Sunglasses with no UV filter, and kids' shorts with drawstrings longer than the regulation length that cause a trip hazard.

They also found cosmetics containing Butylphenyl Methylpropional, also known as Lillal, which is listed as a chemical of very high concern by the EU and has been banned since 2022 due to risks to fertility and fetal development.

The EU's safety gate system, which alerts member States to unsafe Non-Food items, recorded a record 4,137 alerts last year, over a third linked to cosmetics.

Reference Sources

1. theguardian - EU commissioner shocked by dangers of some goods sold by Shein and Temu
2. malaymail - EU warns of baby hazards, banned chemicals in goods sold on Shein and Temu
3. politico - EU justice chief ‘determined’ to crack down on sale of illegal goods on Temu and Shein

The CommonWealth English daily news digest is a service curated by CommonWealth English team with the help of AI tools.

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