Former President Donald Trump's tariffs were a major component of his economic and trade policy, particularly aimed at reducing the U.S. trade deficit and encouraging domestic manufacturing. Beginning in 2018, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of imports, most notably from China, but also from the European Union, Canada, and Mexico. These included:
25% tariffs on steel and 10% on aluminum from many countries, citing national security concerns.
Tariffs on $360+ billion worth of Chinese goods, in response to alleged intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices.
These tariffs led to retaliatory tariffs from other nations, affecting U.S. agricultural exports and other sectors. Economists and industry groups debated the effectiveness: while some praised the effort to level the playing field, others criticized the tariffs for raising costs for American businesses and consumers.#TrumpTariffs