In a bold move to protect American interests, President Donald Trump has announced the introduction of a 10% baseline tariff on all imports starting April 5, 2025. This strategic measure seeks to address years of unfair trade practices that have undermined American workers and industries.
From the White House Rose Garden, President Trump declared April 2 as “Liberation Day,” symbolizing a renewed commitment to economic sovereignty. He stressed the importance of safeguarding American jobs and rejuvenating domestic manufacturing.
“For too long, other nations have taken advantage of our open markets while imposing barriers to our products. Those days are over,” the President asserted.
He went on to emphasize the impact on American workers.
“American steel workers, auto workers, farmers and skilled craftsmen,” Trump said. “We have a lot of them here with us today. They really suffered, gravely. They watched in anguish as foreign leaders have stolen our jobs, foreign cheaters have ransacked our factories, and foreign scavengers have torn apart our once beautiful American dream. We had an American dream that you don’t hear so much about. You did four years ago, and you are now. But you don’t too often.”
“Now it’s our turn to prosper, and in so doing, use trillions and trillions of dollars to reduce our taxes and pay down our national debt,” he added. “And it will all happen very quickly. With today’s action, we are finally going to be able to make America great again, greater than ever before. Jobs and factories will come roaring back into our country and you see it happening already. We will supercharge our domestic industrial base.”
“For nations that treat us badly, we will calculate the combined rate of all their tariffs, nonmonetary barriers and other forms of cheating. And because we are being very kind, we will charge them approximately half of what they are and have been charging us. So the tariffs will be not a full reciprocal. I could have done that. Yes. But it would have been tough for a lot of countries,” he said.
Trump noted that the U.S. had cut trade barriers for other countries for years while those nations imposed hefty tariffs on American goods and adopted unfair regulations, hurting American industries.
“From 1789 to 1913, we were a tariff-backed nation. And the United States was proportionately the wealthiest it has ever been,” he said.
With a clear message, he added:
“And my answer is very simple. If they complain, if you want your tariff rate to be zero, then you build your product right here in America. Because there is no tariff. If you build your plant, your product in America. And we’ve seen companies coming in like we’ve never seen before,” he said.
The White House released a detailed comparison showcasing how various countries have imposed hefty tariffs on U.S. goods, while benefiting from American trade generosity. Notably, Canada is exempt from these new reciprocal tariffs after recent trade negotiations.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested removing tariffs altogether if reciprocal actions are taken, asserting that such a move would be beneficial for both nations. However, he lacks the authority for such federal changes.
Country Tariffs Charged to the U.S.A. and U.S.A. Discounted Reciprocal Tariffs
- Argentina: 10% / 10%
- Australia: 10% / 10%
- Bangladesh: 74% / 37%
- Botswana: 74% / 37%
- Brazil: 10% / 10%
- Cambodia: 97% / 49%
- Chile: 10% / 10%
- China: 67% / 34%
- Colombia: 10% / 10%
- Costa Rica: 17% / 10%
- Côte d’Ivoire: 41% / 21%
- Dominican Republic: 10% / 10%
- Ecuador: 12% / 10%
- Egypt: 10% / 10%
- El Salvador: 10% / 10%
- European Union: 39% / 20%
- Guatemala: 10% / 10%
- Honduras: 10% / 10%
- India: 52% / 26%
- Indonesia: 64% / 32%
- Israel: 33% / 17%
- Japan: 46% / 24%
- Jordan: 40% / 20%
- Kazakhstan: 54% / 27%
- Laos: 95% / 48%
- Madagascar: 93% / 47%
- Malaysia: 47% / 24%
- Morocco: 10% / 10%
- Myanmar (Burma): 88% / 44%
- New Zealand: 20% / 10%
- Nicaragua: 36% / 18%
- Norway: 30% / 15%
- Pakistan: 58% / 29%
- Peru: 10% / 10%
- Philippines: 34% / 17%
- Saudi Arabia: 10% / 10%
- Serbia: 74% / 37%
- Singapore: 10% / 10%
- South Africa: 60% / 30%
- South Korea: 50% / 25%
- Sri Lanka: 88% / 44%
- Switzerland: 61% / 31%
- Taiwan: 64% / 32%
- Thailand: 72% / 36%
- Trinidad and Tobago: 12% / 10%
- Tunisia: 55% / 28%
- Turkey: 10% / 10%
- United Arab Emirates: 10% / 10%
- United Kingdom: 10% / 10%
- Vietnam: 90% / 46%
Trump was just handed a large poster and he is now going through every country with unfair tariffs against the U.S. Trump is making comments on each country, explaining how they’re screwing the US off, and says he’s tariffing them. We are SO BACK.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh)
April 2, 2025
