What are Trump’s tariffs and threatened trade actions so far?
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US President Donald Trump has imposed several trade-related steps and threats since he took office in January.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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WASHINGTON - A US trade court on May 28 blocked US President Donald Trump’s tariffs
The Trump administration said it would appeal against the ruling.
In April, Mr Trump imposed a 10 per cent tariff on most countries and suspended higher levies on many trading partners for 90 days
Mr Trump in recent months has also imposed 25 per cent tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium, and 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.
In another move, Mr Trump had imposed a 100 per cent tariff on movies produced outside the US and sent into the country.
Here is a round-up of Mr Trump’s trade-related steps and threats so far.
Broad tariffs
A cornerstone of Mr Trump’s vision includes a phased roll-out of universal tariffs on all US imports.
Mr Trump had tasked his economics team with devising plans for reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes US imports and to counteract non-tariff barriers such as vehicle safety rules that exclude US cars, as well as value-added taxes that increase their cost.
Specific countries
Mr Trump’s tariff proposals target several key trade partners; some are listed below.
Mexico and Canada
The two countries were the largest trade partners of the US in 2024 through November, with Mexico ranked first.
Mr Trump’s new 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada
The tariffs included a 25 per cent levy on most goods from Mexico and Canada, along with a 10 per cent duty on Canada’s energy imports.
Canada exports primarily crude oil and other energy goods, as well as cars and car parts within the North American car manufacturing chain.
Mexico also exports various goods to the US in the industrial and auto sectors. Canada hit back
US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said US officials might still work out a partial resolution with the two neighbours, adding that they needed to do more on the fentanyl front.
On March 12, Canada said it would impose retaliatory tariffs on US imported goods worth C$29.8 billion in response to Mr Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs.
While the two countries are currently exempt from the “Liberation Day” tariffs announced on April 2, they do face a separate set of 25 per cent tariffs on auto imports.
Canada has requested World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute consultations with the US over its imposition of import duties on certain steel and aluminium products, as well as the tariffs on cars and car parts from Canada.
China
Mr Trump levied 10 per cent tariffs across all Chinese imports into the US, effective on Feb 4, following repeated warnings to Beijing about insufficient measures to halt the flow of illicit drugs into the US.
He followed that up with another 10 per cent duty on Chinese goods, effective March 4. China responded by announcing additional tariffs of 10 per cent to 15 per cent on certain US imports from March 10 and a series of new export restrictions for designated US entities.
Later it raised complaints about the US tariffs with the WTO.
On April 2, Mr Trump imposed an additional 34 per cent tariff on China, bringing the total new levy to 54 per cent, which prompted the world’s second-biggest economy to retaliate with a duty of 34 per cent on all US goods.
Mr Trump responded that the US would impose an additional 50 per cent tariff on China if Beijing does not withdraw its retaliatory tariffs on the US, and said “all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated”.
Washington’s fresh round of tariffs lifted duties on China to an eye-watering 145 per cent
On May 12 in Geneva, both countries agreed to temporarily slash reciprocal tariffs
The new measures are effective for 90 days.
Europe
Mr Trump said the EU and other countries have troubling trade surpluses with the US.
He has said the countries’ products will either be subject to tariffs or he will demand they buy more oil and gas from the US, even though US gas export capacity is near its limits.
The 27-nation bloc faces 25 per cent import tariffs on steel, aluminium and cars, as well as broader tariffs of 20 per cent from April 9 for almost all other goods.
Among vulnerable industries is pharmaceuticals, as US firms such as Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer have large plants in Ireland, which is also a major exporter of medical devices.
The European Union said on April 7 it had offered a “zero-for-zero” tariff deal to avert a trade war, with EU ministers agreeing to prioritise negotiations while striking back with targeted countermeasures next week.
The EU on March 12 said it would impose counter-tariffs on €26 billion (S$37.8 billion) worth of US goods from April in response to Mr Trump’s metals tariffs.
Mr Trump ratcheted up pressure on May 23, pushing for a 50 per cent tariff a 25 per cent tariff
On May 25, Mr Trump backed away from that threat, restoring a July 9 deadline
Britain
Mr Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in May announced a limited bilateral trade agreement
In April, Trump imposed reciprocal duties of up to 50 per cent on goods from 57 trading partners including the EU, pausing them days later to allow time for negotiations until July 9.
Britain and the US said this deal lowers average British tariffs on US goods to 1.8 per cent from 5.1 per cent but keeps in place the 10 per cent tariff on British goods.
A British official noted that the deal did not include Washington’s demand for restructuring of Britain’s digital services tax, levied at 2 per cent of British revenue for online marketplaces.
Products
Specific products and sectors have also been targeted or exempted, notably metals, cars, semiconductors, lumber, pharmaceuticals and electronics. REUTERS
