Trump's tariffs – When? What? How much?

On January 20, President Trump's first official day in office, the White House published a memorandum (“ America First Trade Policy ”) setting out the principles of future trade policy and ordering investigations into the causes of the US's high trade deficits (see box below for an overview of the legal basis for trade measures).

Important milestones are:

• February 4, 2025: An additional 10% tariff on imports from China comes into force (the effective tariff rate on imports from China – tariff revenues as a percentage of total import value – was 10.7% in 2024). At the same time, the exemption for packages worth less than $800 (the de minimis rule) was abolished. However, the latter measure was suspended shortly afterwards until the administrative requirements for collecting the tariffs are in place.
• March 4, 2025: Trump announced that the U.S. will impose an additional 10% tariff on China from that date. He also emphasized that the 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico, originally announced at the beginning of February, would then come into force. These had been postponed after these countries promised to help in the fight against illegal immigration and drug trafficking. However, a further postponement does not appear to be out of the question here.
  However, if additional tariffs are imposed on the basis of provisions such as Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act or Section 301 of the Trade Act, further deadlines must be observed that would delay the entry into force of the tariffs.
• March 12, 2025: A 25% general tariff on steel and aluminum imports takes effect.
• March 24, 2025: Deadline for comments and hearings on unfair Chinese trade practices to dominate the global shipping and maritime logistics sector. This is done on the basis of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Measures such as increased US docking fees for Chinese ships are possible.
• April 1, 2025: The results of the investigations into the causes of the high US deficits, ordered on January 20, are available.
• April 2, 2025: Trump has announced via Truth Social that the threatened “reciprocal tariffs” are to come into force on this date. These are intended to bring US tariffs on a level with the tariffs or non-tariff trade restrictions imposed by other countries (such as EU countries) on the various product groups. According to press reports, however, the implementation of such complex tariffs is likely to take significantly longer.
  In addition, Trump has announced tariffs on autos “in the region of 25%” for this date. He has also promised similar measures on imports of semiconductors and pharmaceutical products.
• Spring 2025 (?): Concrete measures to restrict Chinese investment in sensitive areas of the US economy. Publication of a “white list” of trusted foreign investors.
• November 22, 2025: The results of the investigation Trump ordered on February 25 into the potential threat to national security from copper imports must be available by this date. After a further period, measures such as higher tariffs on these products may be imposed.
• December 23, 2025: While the Biden administration was still in office, an investigation into China's pursuit of dominance in the global semiconductor industry was launched on December 23, 2024. The results are expected to be available by December 23, 2025, at the latest.

For full text see attached PDF-Version.