President Donald Trump's expanded tariff regime took effect on Saturday, imposing higher import duties on goods from dozens of countries after the White House's self-imposed August 1 deadline passed. The administration framed the levies as leverage to force new trade agreements.

The measures follow weeks of negotiations in which Washington announced framework deals with several partners while warning that nations without agreements would face significantly higher rates. The Treasury Department and Commerce Department had signaled that letters setting country-specific rates would govern imports beginning August 1.

The rollout builds on Trump's broader trade agenda, which has already reshaped supply chains and drawn retaliation threats from major economies. On Friday, the president also touted domestic measures, including a veteran trucking program he linked to the removal of thousands of non-English-speaking drivers.

Business groups and importers warned that the new duties would raise costs for American consumers and manufacturers reliant on foreign components. Democratic lawmakers criticized the reliance on executive tariff authority, while some Republicans defended the strategy as a tool to secure better terms for U.S. exporters.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Trade Representative said additional agreements remained under negotiation and that rates could be adjusted for countries reaching deals in the coming days.