April 2025

On April 2, the highly anticipated Liberation Day Tariffs were finally announced in an address to the nation. For months, trade professionals speculated on what these reciprocal tariffs might look like, but no one had any credible information on what would occur. Some predicted a single conforming tariff rate for all nations, while others expected a commodity-for-commodity exchange. It turns out it would be a mix of both, with a dash of reciprocity. A 10% base tariff was placed on all countries, with specified rates for higher-deficit countries and multiple industry-specific tariffs. With this all-encompassing approach, Trump is not leaving much wiggle room for impacted countries.

In his address, President Trump shocked both allies and adversaries by pulling out large charts detailing wide-ranging tariffs on nations across the globe. A week later, the shock and awe continued as Trump issued a 90-day pause on the tariffs for every country except China, which received a 145% tariff rate in retaliation for their failure to heed his warning against retaliatory measures.

The move sent ripple effects through global markets and set off a wave of emergency trade talks. Over one hundred countries are now scrambling to negotiate exemptions or reductions before the 90-day window closes. For the logistics industry, this means an intense few months of tariff recalculations, origin audits, and real-time compliance updates.

Meanwhile, China remains at the center of the storm. With a combined tariff rate exceeding 100%, U.S.-China trade has entered uncharted territory. Importers are urgently reviewing their inventory plans, rerouting supply chains, and evaluating mitigation strategies.