President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced the scope of mutual tariffs targeting almost every country the US trades, challenging him in the long-standing defense of free trade and globalization in Washington.
Trump’s latest tariffs will build on a series of similar measures he has taken since taking office on January 20th, and will strike a country where Washington has a massive trade obstacle or imposes heavy tariffs on US goods. In 2023, US imports were $1.1 trillion more expensive than exports. Other countries don’t have a larger trade deficit than the United States.
Trump’s mutual tariffs are also targeting countries like Syria, which have been facing Israeli attacks since President Bashar al-Assad overthrowed in December 2024, and Myanmar, which has been shaken by earthquake damage amidst the civil war. They are also targeting economies that are already struggling to balance their books, in response to loans from International Monetary Funds such as Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
Here is how countries are specifically targeted by Trump’s tariffs and, for now, several sectors exempt from penalties.
What did Trump say?
Trump announced mutual tariffs in an executive order on Wednesday, along with the address of the White House Rose Garden. Trump described April 2 as “Liberation Day.”
In his executive order, Trump said that while the US trading policy is built on the principle of reciprocity, taxes and barriers to US products by its trading partners have hurt the US.
He said the tariffs were a response. These mutual duties will come into effect on April 9th.
In his speech, Trump argued that the US is charging less tariffs from its trading partners compared to the tariff and non-tariff barriers it imposed on the US.
“For decades, our country has been plundered, plundered, raped and looted by nearby countries, both friends and enemies alike,” Trump said.
Holding a new mutual tariff chart, Trump cited the example of China. He claimed he charged an average tariff of 67% on US products. “We’re going to charge [China with] 34% discount round-trip tariffs,” he said. How can someone be upset? They are because we have never charged anyone anything. ”
However, effective tariffs on China are actually high. And some countries will now be subject to higher duties than the obligations imposed on US imports. Chinese goods face 34% mutual tariffs, in addition to the 20% tariffs previously imposed by Trump, bringing overall tariffs on Chinese products to 54%, bringing closer to the promise of a 60% campaign. In 2024, China was the US’s second largest trading partner.
How many customs do countries have?
The White House has released annexs for 57 target countries, territories and blocks facing increased tariffs. These include:
Algeria: Angola30%: 32%Bangladesh: 37%Bosnia and Herzegovina: 36%Botswana: 38%Brunei: 24%Cambodia: Cameroon49%: 12%Chad: 13%China: 34% (in addition to the previously estimated 20%)Fiji: Guyana32%: 38%India: 27%Indonesia: 32%Iraq: 39%Israel: 17%Israel: 21%Japan: 24%Jordan: 20%Kazakhstan: Laos48%: 48%Lesotho: 50%Libya: 37%Madagak: 40%Malaya MoldovaPercentage: 31P -St Mozambique: 16% Myanmar: 45% Namibia: 21% Nowru: 30% Nicaragua: Nigeria: 14% North Macedonia: 33% Norway: 16% Pakistan: 30% Philippines: 18% Serbia: 38% South Africa: 31% South Africa: 31% South Africa: 31% South Africa: 31% South Africa: 31% South Africa: 31% South Africa: 31% Thailand One%: 32% Thailand: 37% Tunisia: 28% Vanuatu: 23% Venezuela: 15% Vietnam: 46% Zambia: 17% Zimbabwe: 18%
Are other countries receiving customs duties too?
yes. Apart from the 57 list released Wednesday, Trump is also leviing 10% tariffs on products from almost every other US trading partner.
He did this by calling the International Emergency Economic Force Act of 1977.
Some major countries facing this 10% tariff rate on all exports to the US include:
UKAustraliaSingaporeBrazilNew ZealandTurkieUnitedArab EmiratesSaudi ArabiaChile
These duties will come into effect on April 5th.
How about Canada and Mexico?
Canada and Mexico were not on the list of countries slapped with the latest tariffs, but both US neighbors are already facing heavy tariffs.
On February 1, Trump signed an executive order that imposes a 25% tariff on all goods imported from Mexico and Canada. These tariffs were suspended for a month after negotiations between Trump and leaders of both countries.
In early March, Trump reinstated these tariffs, but on March 6th, he exempted these tariffs from US Mexico and Canada agreement (USMCA) products.
Energy and potash that are not compliant with the USMCA are facing 10% tariffs. All other non-USMCA compliant products in Mexico and Canada continue to face 25% tariffs.
On Wednesday, the White House reaffirmed that Mexico and Canada’s tariffs remained there.
Which products are exempt?
Exemption products include copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, wood supplies, energy products, and certain important minerals that are not available in the United States.
On March 26, Trump signed an executive order that imposes a 25% tariff on automobile imports and certain auto parts. No additional duties on these products were announced Wednesday.
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