Trump tariffs: Visualising new US trade restrictions

Since returning to the White House in January, US President Donald Trump has threatened and imposed a series of new tariffs.

The tariffs, which target major US trading partners, could upend traditional trading relations, creating significant uncertainty in the global economy.

For a better visual understanding of the tariffs and their possible impact, see the following infographics and be sure to revisit this page for insights on future developments.

On 2 April, the Trump administration unveiled a new tariff regime that applies a baseline additional tariff of 10% on US imports from all countries. Trump also announced that around 80 countries would face higher tariffs ranging from 10-50%, based on calculations conducted by the administration.

The tariff regime triggered a global sell-off in equities and US Treasuries, tanking financial markets worldwide. On 9 April, the day the higher tariffs were set to go into effect, Trump announced a 90-day pause on most of the additional tariffs above 10%. Stock markets surged following the reversal.

Trump, however, said that tariffs on China will be raised to 125% effective immediately.

According to the White House, the tariffs are imposed based on presidential authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and will not be additional to existing steel, aluminium and car tariffs imposed previously.

Under the new tariff regime, goods traded under the United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) deal will not face these tariffs.

Exceptions will also be made for bullion, energy and minerals not found in the US, as well as semi-conductors, pharmaceuticals, copper and lumber – though these may be subject to trade investigations at a later date. The exceptions may lessen the impact for certain trade partners with potentially high tariff rates where the bulk of their trade into the US is in those categories.

In late March, Trump issued an executive order imposing 25% tariffs on all imported cars and key parts, to take effect from 2 April. The levy will apply on top of other tariffs.

The executive order also indicates that cars and parts traded under the USMCA will face a tariff on non-US content – though only after customs has established a process to do so.

Analysts estimate about half the vehicles sold in the US are imported, while US-assembled cars contain around 60% foreign-sourced parts.

In February, President Trump announced plans to impose tariffs of 25% on all US steel and aluminium imports. The tariffs went into effect on 12 March, prompting retaliatory tariffs and escalating global trade tensions.

By contrast with the metals tariffs announced during the first Trump administration, the new tariffs do not include any country exemptions or product exclusions. The US imports about 25% of the steel it uses, and about 50% of its aluminium.

In response, the European Union announced that it would allow the suspension of existing countermeasures imposed during the first Trump presidency to lapse and would impose new retaliatory tariffs. The countermeasures will apply tariffs on roughly €26 billion of US good exports to the bloc.

The EU's retaliatory tariffs are set to go into effect in two-stages in early and mid-April.

On 4 March, the United States imposed tariffs of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico. Imports of Canadian energy will face charges of 10%. Collectively, the tariffs affect over $900 billion worth of imports.

In response, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country would retaliate with tariffs of 25% on CAN$155 billion (US$107 billion) worth of US goods, with a phased in approach. Retaliatory actions are also expected from Mexico.

On 5 March, the White House announced that automakers will be exempt from the 25% tariffs for one month. President Trump granted the exemption at the behest of major US automakers, according to the White House. A day later, on 6 March, the US announced a nearly one-month delay for tariffs on Mexican and Canadian products that are covered by North America's free trade treaty.

President Trump also issued an executive order increasing tariffs on all imports from China by a further 10 percentage points, to 20% above their January levels. The US imported around $440 billion worth of goods from China in 2024.

In response, China announced tariffs of up to 15% on US agriculture goods, among other measures.

Together, the three targeted economies are the US’ top sources of imports.

Stock markets fell in response to the developments. Various experts expect the tariffs will curb growth and stoke inflation. Yet the full scale of the economic impact will in part depend on the retaliatory measures.