The United States begins the application of customs duties to major commercial partners

Yesterday, the United States started applying the high customs duties rate imposed by US President Donald Trump, and ranged between 10 and 50%, on dozens of commercial partners, in a test of Trump’s strategy to reduce the American trade deficit, without major disturbances in global supply chains, high inflation or a severe response from commercial partners.

The American Customs and Protection Authority began collecting high customs duties, at 12:01 am EST, after weeks of anticipation to know the final rates, amid feverish negotiations with the main commercial partners who sought to reduce them.

Imports from a number of countries were previously subject to 10%basic import fees, after Trump suspended the highest rates announced in early April 2025.

But since then, Trump has changed his plan for customs duties repeatedly, as some countries have imposed much higher rates, including 50% on imports from Brazil, 39% on Switzerland, 35% on Canada, and 25% on India.

The day before yesterday, it announced the imposition of 25% separate customs duties on Indian goods within 21 days, due to the purchase of the country in South Asia, Russian oil.

Prior to the date of implementing the fees, Trump began the flow of “billions of dollars” to the United States, most of which were countries that he said had “took advantage of the state.”

Eight of the main commercial partners, representing about 40% of the US trade flows, reached frameworks with Trump to obtain commercial and investment privileges, including the European Union, Japan and South Korea, which led to a reduction in the basic customs duties facing to 15%.

Britain obtained a 10%reduction in customs duties, while Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines obtained discounts in the fees ranging between 19 and 20%, and Trump promoted the huge increase in federal revenues from collecting the import fees that he imposed, which ultimately bear the companies importing goods and consumers of the final products.

US Treasury Secretary, Scott Besent, said the US revenue from customs duties may reach 300 billion dollars annually.