NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has launched tariff wars with practically all of America’s buying and selling companions. And there’s no finish in sight.
Quite a lot of sweeping new taxes on items from different international locations are already right here — and extra took impact on Wednesday. Trump has promised greater charges for his newest and most extreme volley of duties, which he calls “reciprocal” tariffs.
With so many back-and-forth tariff actions and threats, it may be robust to maintain observe of the place issues stand. Right here’s a rundown of what you could know.
Girls store for garments at a clothes market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Picture/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Trump introduced his newest — and most sweeping — spherical of tariffs on April 2, which he dubbed “Liberation Day,” as a part of his “reciprocal” commerce plan. In a fiery speech claiming that different international locations had “ripped off” the U.S. for years, Trump declared that the U.S. would now tax practically all of America’s buying and selling companions at a minimal of 10% — and impose steeper charges for international locations that he says run commerce surpluses with the U.S.
The ten% baseline already went into impact Saturday. And when the clock struck at midnight, the upper import tax charges on dozens of nations and territories took maintain.
The steeper levies run as excessive as 50% — with that greatest fee touchdown on small economies that commerce little with the U.S., together with the African kingdom of Lesotho. Another charges embody a tax of 47% on imports from Madagascar, 46% on Vietnam, 32% on Taiwan, 25% on South Korea, 24% on Japan and 20% on the European Union.
Economists warn that the levies will elevate costs for items customers purchase every day — notably as these new tariffs construct on a few of earlier commerce measures. Trump final week introduced a tariff of 34% on China, for instance, which might come on prime of 20% levies he imposed on the nation earlier this 12 months.
Trump then added on one other 50% levy on Chinese language items in response to Beijing’s recently-promised retaliation. That took the mixed whole to 104% in opposition to China.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned at a Tuesday briefing that Trump had not been contemplating an extension or delay for coming fee will increase.
As a part of a flurry of countermeasures, China has mentioned it’s going to levy its personal 34% tariff on all U.S. items — matching Trump’s fee — beginning Thursday.
Individuals stroll by shelf displaying imported nuts from the USA, on the Hema grocery store, in Beijing, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Picture/Andy Wong)
Trump was fast to criticize China’s transfer — however China has maintained that it’s going to “battle to the tip” and take countermeasures in opposition to the U.S. to guard itself. On Tuesday, China’s Commerce Ministry referred to as Trump’s risk to escalate tariffs “a mistake on prime of a mistake” that “as soon as once more exposes the blackmailing nature of the U.S.”
The commerce conflict between the U.S. and China isn’t new. The 2 international locations had exchanged a collection of tit-for-tat levies in latest months — on prime of tariffs imposed throughout Trump’s first time period, lots of which have been preserved or added to underneath former President Joe Biden.
Whereas China has taken the hardest method to this point, a number of international locations signaled that they’re evaluating their very own responses to Trump’s levies.
It’s attainable that we’ll see extra retaliation sooner or later, however some have signaled hopes to barter. The pinnacle of the European Union’s govt fee is amongst these providing a mutual discount of tariffs — whereas warning that counter measures are nonetheless an possibility.
Trump might additionally roll out extra product-specific tariffs down the street. The president has beforehand threatened import taxes on items like copper, lumber and pharmaceutical medicine — all of that are at the moment exempt from Trump’s “reciprocal” levies.
Throughout a speech Tuesday night time, Trump boasted he was providing “breaking information” earlier than vowing, “We’re going to be asserting, very shortly, a serious tariff on prescription drugs.” In the identical remarks, the president lamented that the U.S. now not produces most of the prescription drugs its residents take, and mentioned new tariffs would change that — bringing manufacturing of medicine again to the U.S.
Vans with containers drive by means of a logistic-terminal in Leipzig, Germany, Monday, April 7, 2025. (Jan Woitas/dpa by way of AP)
A handful of tariffs are already in impact, together with Trump’s 10% baseline tax which took impact on Saturday.
Previous to that sweeping levy, Trump had rolled out a number of different rounds of tariffs focusing on specific international locations and merchandise. His 25% tariffs on auto imports started final Thursday, with taxes on fully-imported automobiles. These levies are set to broaden to relevant auto elements in coming weeks, by means of Might 3.
Canada responded on Tuesday with a 25% levy on auto imports from the U.S. that don’t adjust to the 2020 US-Mexico Canada Settlement. These have been slated to enter impact on the identical day as Trump’s greater tariffs on Wednesday.
Trump’s expanded metal and aluminum tariffs got here into impact in March. Each metals are actually taxed at 25% throughout the board, with Trump’s order to take away metal exemptions and lift aluminum’s levy from his previously-imposed 2018 import taxes taking impact March 12.
Past levies on China, Trump earlier focused Mexico and Canada. They have been spared from final week’s heightened charges, Trump imposed — and later partially suspended — 25% duties on items from each international locations.
In the meantime, items complying with the USMCA can proceed to enter the U.S. duty-free, in accordance with the White Home. Different imports are nonetheless levied at 25%, in addition to a decrease 10% responsibility on potash and Canadian power merchandise.
As soon as the 2 international locations have happy Trump’s calls for on immigration and drug trafficking, the White Home mentioned the tariff on non-USMCA compliant imports will drop from 25% to 12%.