Trump Launched Global Tariff Wars In 2025. Here’s A Recap Of His Trade Actions This Year
It’s been a bumpy year for US trade policy.
President Donald Trump has launched a new threshold of tariffs in 2025, dragging the United States into trade wars with nearly every country in the world. The successive barrage of threats and higher import duties often came unsteadily; Trump claimed such tariffs should be implemented immediately to close trade imbalances and recover “stolen” wealth from the United States.
But the president has also turned to tariffs out of personal grudges or in response to political criticism. Backlash to a succession of tariffs and retaliation has fueled widespread uncertainty for businesses and consumers alike, while households continue to face rising prices.
Here’s a summary of Trump’s biggest business actions last year, by key month.
January-March
In his first few months back in office, Trump focused his new tariffs on America’s three largest trading partners: Canada, Mexico and China. Again and again, taxes and retaliatory reprisals begin to increase.
The United States also increased import duties on steel and aluminum worldwide to 25%, expanding 2018 import duties that Trump had previously imposed.
April
Trump’s trade wars escalate to new heights in April. The president turned the stock market upside down by announcing sweeping “Liberation Day” tariffs on nearly every country in the world. There is more turmoil after dozens told investors it was a “great time to buy” just hours before higher import duties were due to be postponed.
China is the exception. Washington and Beijing are increasingly trading high, tit-for-tat taxes; reaching 145% and 125% respectively.
Separately, Trump’s 25 percent auto tariffs are kicking in, throwing the industry into uncertainty and bringing further retaliation from trading partners like Canada.
May-July
The Trump administration has spent much of the summer bragging about trade “framework” agreements with countries like China, the United Kingdom and Vietnam. But his administration is sending letters to dozens of other countries promising to raise taxes and escalating trade wars, especially with Brazil and India.
Otherwise, Trump continues to expand industry-specific tariffs, increasing steel and aluminum duties by up to 50%.
Meanwhile, a major legal challenge over Trump’s tariffs is gaining traction. A federal court is blocking Trump from imposing some of the most sweeping taxes under the emergency powers law; but an appeals court is temporarily halting the decision, allowing tariff collections to continue while the case continues in court.
August
Increased customs duties of the USA against more than 60 countries and the European Union came into effect. After several delays, most of these rates date back to “Liberation Day” in April; but separately, Trump raised Canadian import duties to 35%.
In addition to imposing a 50 percent punitive duty on goods from Brazil and India, a new 50 percent duty rate on most copper imported worldwide also went into effect. Low-value imports coming to the USA lose their duty-free status with the end of the “de minimis” rule.
Separately, the US is extending its trade truce with China. And a US appeals court ruled that Trump went too far in declaring national emergencies to justify his tariffs; but did not eliminate them completely and allowed the administration to take the case to the Supreme Court.
September-December
The Trump administration is officially taking the tariff fight to the Supreme Court. In early oral arguments, the justices appeared skeptical about the president’s authority to impose such sweeping taxes.
Meanwhile, Trump continues to promise more sectoral tariffs, with a 25% tax on kitchen cabinets and other furniture. But other threats are lagging. Amid growing price pressures, the president also reduced or eliminated several previous tariffs, particularly on products such as beef and fruit. He also suggests Americans will receive a $2,000 dividend from new tariff revenues, but details are scarce.
