President Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariff strategy officially took effect on April 9, 2025, marking a dramatic escalation in his effort to reshape global trade. Dubbed “Liberation Day” by the administration, the new policy introduces a universal 10% tariff on all imported goods and layers on additional “reciprocal” tariffs against countries with steep trade barriers against U.S. exports.
The most severe of the new measures are aimed at China, with a combined 54% tariff now placed on Chinese imports. This figure includes a new 34% reciprocal duty added on top of an existing 20% levy. Trump’s administration has stated the move is a direct response to China’s ongoing protectionist trade practices and intellectual property theft.
Goods imported from China will now face a combined total tariff rate of 54%, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says. https://t.co/PwlBJusKsG
— NBC News (@NBCNews) April 3, 2025
Other nations also face sharp tariff hikes:
• European Union: 20%
• Japan: 24%
• South Korea: 25%
• Vietnam: 46%
• Taiwan: 32%
The initial 10% blanket tariff began on April 5, while the country-specific reciprocal tariffs took effect on April 9.
Trump has defended the sweeping trade action as necessary to protect American industries and correct decades of one-sided trade deals. “We’re not starting a trade war,” Trump said. “We’re ending the one they’ve been waging against us for years.”
Critics warn the tariffs could lead to higher prices for U.S. consumers and provoke economic retaliation. That fear quickly materialized as China announced countermeasures, including increased tariffs on American goods and export restrictions on rare earth minerals critical to U.S. manufacturing and defense industries.
Markets have responded with volatility, as investors weigh the potential fallout of a prolonged trade standoff. Some global analysts warn that the moves could reshape the global economic order, especially if other countries follow Trump’s lead.
Despite pushback, the Trump administration insists the tariffs are just the beginning of a broader campaign to bring back American manufacturing, punish unfair trade partners, and reassert U.S. economic dominance on the world stage.