VOA Today's Focus (July 25, 2026): New US Tariffs Take Effect July 24, Nearly 60 Countries Face 10%-12.5% Tariffs
Today's VOA Focus reported that the Trump administration announced new tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on goods from nearly 60 countries, taking effect on July 24; Trump reiterated that China and Russia promised not to sell weapons to Iran and stated that the US military is ready to use force against Iran at any time; the 2026 RIMPAC exercise conducted a live-fire integrated drill in Hawaiian waters, sinking two decommissioned warships; in addition, it reported on the escalating tensions in the South China Sea, such as Chinese coast guard ships firing water cannons at Philippine vessels at Scarborough Shoal.
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Welcome to VOA Focus for July 25. I am Fan Dongning, broadcasting live from the US capital, Washington. Every day we bring you a 15-minute quick grasp of the latest developments in the US and globally. Here are today's top stories. The Trump administration has launched a new round of tariff measures, subjecting goods exported to the US from nearly 60 countries to tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5%.
Starting today, the US is imposing new tariffs on almost all imported goods from nearly 60 countries, with rates ranging from 10% to 12.5%, covering 99.4% of US imported goods, while a range of commodities including oil, natural gas, fertilizer, automobiles, steel, aluminum, and critical minerals are exempt. The new tariffs took effect starting July 24, Eastern Time. US Trade Representative Greer stated that the US has banned the import of forced labor products for nearly a century and strictly enforced it, and today's action will begin to correct this practice that both violates human rights and distorts trade, in order to improve the welfare of workers around the world. President Trump has consistently sought to use tariffs to boost US manufacturing. The Supreme Court in February rejected President Trump's previous attempt to impose tariffs on the grounds that trade deficits constituted a national emergency. President Trump immediately promised to impose new lawful tariffs and rely on another trade law for enforcement, with the global 10% tariff expiring on Friday, the latter having a validity of 150 days. In March of this year, the US Trade Representative announced investigations into 60 trading partners to examine their enforcement of prohibitions on goods produced with forced labor, leading to Friday's new tariffs. President Trump spoke about this new round of tariff measures at the White House on Friday, let's listen to what President Trump had to say. Because of tariffs, our country has $19.2 trillion in investments, without tariffs you know, we would be in big trouble.
On the other hand, President Trump reiterated on Friday that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Putin have both promised him that they will not sell weapons to Iran. In a post on Truth Social, President Trump emphasized that during his visit to Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping had told him that under no circumstances would China provide or sell weapons to Iran, and this promise also included Chinese enterprises. President Trump said that given the relationship between the two sides, he believes Xi Jinping's promise. President Trump also stated that Russian President Putin has similarly assured him that he will not sell weapons to Iran. President Trump said that despite the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the United States maintains communications with Russia and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy. President Trump noted that China and Russia are two important countries often watched by the outside world regarding Iran, but he believes that currently neither country is involved in providing weapons to Iran, warning that it would not be in their own interest if they changed their stance. President Trump previously stated that the United States is working to limit Iran's potential ability to acquire materials for military purposes and has warned against letting Iran acquire nuclear weapons.
Responding to reporters' questions at the White House on Friday, President Trump also stated that Americans are negotiating with the Iranian side, but the U.S. military is also prepared to launch military strikes against Iran again. Let's listen to what President Trump had to say. We are talking to them right now, and I think as time goes on, they are getting more and more serious, probably for obvious reasons, but we are indeed talking to them right now. You see, I think there are two ways, I think one is smarter, but the other might be the way we are doing it, the easier way, if we want to, we can take it to a higher level, you know we are ready, as you know, we are locked and loaded, ready to go at any time, but we are talking to them, so I think while we are talking, we'll see how it turns out.
The 2026 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise is currently underway. In mid-July, the U.S. military and its allies conducted a live-fire sink exercise in the waters off Hawaii, integrating two giant warships—the decommissioned cruiser USS Mobile Bay and the amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu—to showcase the joint missile strike capabilities of the United States and Japan. Apache attack helicopters from the U.S. Army also participated in this live-fire integration exercise. Let's look at the television report by U.S. economic journalist Liu Enming. Amid huge explosions, the decommissioned U.S. Navy cruiser USS Mobile Bay and amphibious assault ship USS Peleliu slowly sank into the deep sea about 50 nautical miles north of Kauai, Hawaii, at a depth of about 4,500 meters. This was the highlight of the 2026 RIMPAC exercise: the live-fire sink exercise.
According to a press release issued by the official U.S. Navy website on July 23, the two integration exercises were held on July 12 and 17 respectively, with participation from naval, air force, and army units of Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and the United States. U.S. Navy Vice Admiral and Commander of the 2026 RIMPAC Joint Task Force, Jeff Jablon, stated that the integration exercise fully demonstrated the formidable strength and combat readiness brought by alliance and partnership. The weapons used in this integration exercise included HIMARS, long-range anti-ship missiles, ship-launched and submarine-launched Harpoon missiles, and Japan's domestically produced Type 12 anti-ship missiles. Two AH-64 Apache attack helicopters from the 7th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army also participated in the live-fire sink exercise, firing Hellfire missiles at the two warships. USNI News reported that the U.S. side introduced more technologies and operational capabilities aimed at China in this multinational naval exercise, and various branches of the U.S. military utilized the RIMPAC platform to demonstrate new maritime strike systems for the first time in a joint multinational operational environment.
The USS Mobile Bay is a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser with a displacement of 9,800 tons. It was officially commissioned on February 21, 1987, at Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama. The ship supported Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. After serving for over 36 years, it was decommissioned in August 2023. The USS Peleliu is a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship commissioned on May 3, 1980, with a displacement of nearly 40,000 tons. Resembling a small aircraft carrier, it features a powerful flight deck capable of launching and recovering various types of aircraft, and has carried out combat and humanitarian missions in half of the world's oceans. During its service, the USS Peleliu completed 17 deployments, supporting Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was decommissioned in March 2015. Voice of America, Washington.
Tensions in the South China Sea continued to escalate this week. According to images released by the Philippine Coast Guard, China Coast Guard vessel 24 fired high-pressure water cannons at three Philippine government ships near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, known in China as Huangyan Island. At the time, the Philippine side was delivering supplies to fishermen. This marks the third maritime standoff between China and the Philippines within a week.