Newly confirmed U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is advocating a plan to impose universal tariffs on imports, according to the Financial Times. The proposal suggests starting tariffs at 2.5%, increasing by 2.

Donald Trump’s Treasury secretary Scott Bessent is pushing for new universal tariffs on US imports to start at 2.5 per cent and rise gradually, said four people familiar with the proposal.

The U.S. Senate voted on Monday to confirm Scott Bessent as Treasury secretary in President Donald Trump's administration. The Senate voted 68-29 to confirm the Wall Street veteran, with 16 Democrats joining all Republicans to choose Bessent for the post.