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What is the state of play with Trump's tariffs? Washington, July 4 (AFP) Jul 04, 2025 With sweeping tariffs on friend and foe, US President Donald Trump has roiled financial markets and sparked a surge in economic uncertainty -- and tensions are mounting days before a fresh volley of higher duties are due to kick in. Here is a rundown of what Trump has implemented in his second presidency, with levies on dozens of economies set to bounce from 10 percent to a range between 11 percent and 50 percent on Wednesday.
To avoid higher levies, countries have been rushing to strike deals with Washington. So far, the UK and Vietnam have struck pacts with the United States, while China has managed to temporarily lower tit-for-tat duties. There are notable exceptions to the duty. Immediate US neighbors Canada and Mexico, which were separately targeted over illegal immigration and fentanyl, are not affected by the 10 percent global tariff. Also off the hook are copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and lumber -- although these are sectors that Trump is mulling levies on. Gold and silver, as well as energy commodities, are excluded too.
Both sides imposed triple-digit tariffs on each other's goods at one point, a level effectively described as a trade embargo. After high level talks, Washington agreed to lower its levies on Chinese goods to 30 percent and Beijing slashed its own to 10 percent. The US level is higher as it includes a 20 percent tariff imposed over China's alleged role in the global fentanyl trade.
In March, he imposed a 25 percent levy on steel and aluminum imports and last month doubled them to 50 percent. He has also rolled out a 25 percent tariff on imported autos, although those imported under the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) can qualify for a lower levy. Trump's auto tariffs impact vehicle parts too, while the president has issued rules to ensure automakers paying vehicle tariffs will not also be charged for certain other duties.
Trump targeted both neighbors saying they did not do enough on illegal immigration and the flow of illicit drugs across borders. But he eventually announced exemptions for goods entering his country under the USMCA, covering large swaths of products. Potash, used as fertilizer, got a lower rate as well.
Trump has also opened the door for 25 percent tariffs on goods from countries importing Venezuelan oil. He has threatened similar "secondary tariffs" involving Russian oil. And he has ordered investigations into imports of copper, lumber, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals that could eventually bring new duties.
It blocked many of the duties from going into effect, prompting the Trump administration's challenge, and a US federal appeals court has since allowed the duties to remain while it considers the case. |
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