US: Donald Trump announces sweeping new global tariffs

Here are some of the reactions to Trump's new tariffs from across the globe.

China

China urged the United States to "immediately cancel" its latest tariffs. 

China "firmly opposes" the tariffs and vowed "countermeasures to safeguard its own rights and interests," its Commerce Ministry said. 

Trump announced new tariffs of 34% on China, one of the US' largest trading partners. That comes on top of the 20% the US president imposed earlier this year.

South Korea

South Korea's industry ministry said that it will pursue active talks with US officials about tariffs. 

It will look for emergency measures for industries hit by the 25% rate imposed on the Asian nation. 

Acting President Han Duck-soo said the government needs to "pour all its capabilities to overcome the trade crisis" as "the global trade war has become a reality."

Brazil

Latin America's largest economy said "it is evaluating all the possible actions to ensure reciprocity in bilateral trade, including resorting to the World Trade Organization, in defense of legitimate national interests," the Brazilian government said in a statement.

It added that it remains open to dialogue and believes the US claims that the tariffs are reciprocal don't "reflect reality."

Poland

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk posted on X, saying: "Friendship means partnership. Partnership means really and truly reciprocal tariffs. Adequate decisions are needed."

Australia

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Thursday the tariffs were "not the act of a friend," but ruled out placing reciprocal tariffs against the United States.

Switzerland

Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter said in a post on X that Switzerland will "quickly determine" its next steps, adding that "the country's long-term economic interests are paramount."

United Kingdom

"Our approach is to remain calm and committed to doing this deal, which we hope will mitigate the impact of what has been announced," UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Jonathan Reynolds said.

Reynolds added that the UK government would continue to defend the country's interests, saying in his statement that "nothing is off the table."

The effective import tax rate in the United States has shot up significantly under the Trump administration.

It was just 2.5% in 2024, according to the head of US economic research at Fitch Ratings, but has now shot up to 22%.

"That rate was last seen around 1910," Olu Sonola said in a statement.

"This is a game changer, not only for the US economy but for the global economy. Many countries will likely end up in a recession."

The US isn't going to impose any new tariffs on Russia. 

A White House official told US magazine Newsweek that Russia wasn't on the tariff list because a trade between the countries is "zero" as a result of US sanctions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Belarus, Cuba and North Korea, other countries that face US sanctions, also weren't on the tariff list of 180 countries.

US-Russia trade has dropped considerably since Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow in 2021. 

But according to US government figures, the US still imported goods from Russia worth $3 billion (€2.75 billion) in 2024 while it exported $526 million.

This means the US ran a trade deficit with Russia in 2024. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to use the tariffs to correct the United States' trade imbalance. 

The US also still trades more with Russia than with countries like Mauritius or Brunei that did make Trump's tariffs list, notes Axios news website.

War-torn Ukraine faces a 10% tariff.

New US tariffs "will only create losers," the German Automotive Industry Association said after Donald Trump's announcement that Washington would impose a 25% tariff on all foreign-made automobiles.

The industry body called on the European Union to act together and with the "necessary force."

The US is one of the most important markets for German carmakers Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche, for whom falling overseas sales will likely deal a severe blow.

You can read more here about the possible impacts of the US tariffs on Germany's auto sector.

The southern African country of Lesotho has attracted a tariff rate of 50% on its exports to the US.

These are mainly on textiles and diamonds.

Lesotho's US exports are equivalent to 10% of its GDP, meaning Trump's new tariffs will potentially hit the tiny mountainous nation hard.

Lesotho currently enjoys duty-free access to the US for certain products, such as clothing, under an agreement between Africa and the US. 

In March, Trump drew the ire of Lesotho's government after he said that nobody had ever heard of the country. 

China was hit with 34% tariffs, landing at the top of the list in Trump's announcement of sweeping global tariffs, although the US president said the number was "a discount."

Trump accused China of "currency manipulation and trade barriers."

The figure comes on top of the already imposed 20% duties on all imports from China and 25% duties on steel and aluminum, and extended them to nearly $150 billion (€138 billion) worth of downstream products.

Trump also signed another executive order that closes a trade loophole used to ship low-value packages duty-free from China, known as "de minimis."

Ending the exemption means e-commerce firms potentially face more scrutiny and analysts have warned that some items currently imported through platforms like Temu or Shein might no longer be allowed into the US as a result.

According to a fact sheet provided by the White House, Trump chose to end the duty-free treatment for the covered goods imported from China and Hong Kong as a step to combat the illicit flow of synthetic opioids into the United States.

"President Trump is targeting deceptive shipping practices by Chinese-based shippers, many of whom hide illicit substances, including synthetic opioids, in low-value packages to exploit the de minimis exemption," the statement read.

The US imposed a 10% tariffs baseline for most countries, but targeted specific countries with a higher rate. Chief among them were Asian nations and traditional allies like Japan with 24%, South Korea with 25% and Taiwan with 46%.

"Taxpayers have been ripped off for more than 50 years," Trump said in remarks at the White House. "But it is not going to happen anymore."

The three Asian nations are home to manufacturing industries like the automobile sector in Japan and South Korea, and semiconductors in Taiwan. He accused Taiwan of taking "all of our computer chips and semiconductors."

Trump said Japanese governments had been "very smart" on trade and accused Tokyo of targeting the US when it came to the auto industry.

Other Asian nations affected were textile manufacturing producers like Cambodia and Vietnam, which saw hits of 46% and 49% respectively.

"Great people, they like me, I like them, the problem is they charge us 90%," Trump said, explaining his rationale for the measure.

US President Donald Trump said imports from the European Union to the United States would see a 20% tariff.

The EU is one of the most important trading partners for the US and a long-time ally.

"They're ripping us off. It's so sad to see," Trump said of the EU during his speech in the White House Rose Garden.

Trump has previously lashed out at the EU over the balance of trade, especially given the higher volume of European goods sold in the US compared to US exports.

US President Donald Trump has announced a round of sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on countries around the world.

In a speech in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said he would sign an executive order, saying it marked the day "America's industry is reborn," adding that his plan would "make America wealthy again."

He called the tariff plan "a declaration of economic independence" and "our turn to prosper."

"They do it to us, we do it to them," Trump said, explaining that the US is only defending itself from tariffs imposed on its industries.

Trump railed against countries like Thailand, India, the European Union, South Korea, and Japan for mistreating the US economically.

"In many cases the friend is worse than the foe," Trump said, acknowledging that many of those countries were traditional US allies.

Trump invited several union members of the autoworkers industry, inviting one of them on stage to speak about the state of car manufacturing in the US. Trump announced 25% tariffs on foreign made automobiles.

After weeks of White House threats, promises, talks and international anxiety, US President Donald Trump has announced an array of new tariffs on US competitors and partners. 

Click below to watch the president's announcement.

Europe's retaliatory tariffs have targeted American products like Harley Davidson motorcycles and denim jeans.

With these already affected, new tariffs may target other sectors, including the US service sector. 

The EU Commission might restrict intellectual property rights for US companies, such as limiting Apple and Google from charging for cloud services. 

The EU's Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) could be used to counter Trump's trade policies, potentially restricting US banks and revoking patents. 

Additionally, the EU may enforce laws like the Digital Services Act to impose penalties on major US tech companies. 

All measures require agreement from a qualified majority of EU countries.

Read more about the retaliatory tools at the EU's disposal by clicking here.

Canada's auto sector is tightly linked with US carmakers. Donald Trump's latest move to slap a 25% tariff on auto parts imported from the US neighbor is leaving suppliers scrambling to adapt amid rising uncertainty.

European stocks closed lower on Wednesday as investors waited for US President Donald Trump's tariff plans to be made known.

The continent's benchmark STOXX Europe 600 index closed 0.5% lower. Germany's DAX fell 0.7%.

It's been a volatile week in European markets ahead of Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" announcement.

Wall Street broker Goldman Sachs cut its 12-month forecasts for the STOXX Europe 600, citing Trump's expected plans.

The index has been circling two-month lows and is about 5.1% below its all-time high hit in March.

European Central Bank head Christine Lagarde has warned that Trump's tariffs would be harmful "the world over." 

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she wasn't looking to get into a tit-for-tat tariff spat with the US ahead of President Donald Trump's announcement.

Trump is expected to announce a raft of sweeping new reciprocal tariffs aimed at reducing trade deficits and boosting domestic manufacturing. US neighbors Canada and Mexico are among the countries that could be levied. 

Sheinbaum said at her daily morning press conference that Mexico will on Thursday "announce a comprehensive program, not a tit-for-tat on tariffs."

Adopting a wait-and-see approach, Sheinbaum said that whatever the outcome of Wednesday's announcement, there was a plan in place.

"Let's see what announcement they make, but we have a plan to strengthen the economy under any circumstance," Sheinbaum added.

The European Union's response to US President Donald Trump's plan to impose broad new reciprocal tariffs on global trading partners will come at the appropriate time, an EU spokesman told journalists.

Meanwhile, the French government said it expects the EU to outline its response to the new Trump's tariffs set "before the end of April."

"There will be two responses. The first, which will take place in mid-April, is a response to the tariffs already decided on steel and aluminium," government spokeswoman Sophie Primas said.

"Then, there will be a detailed study, sector by sector, and a European decision should be announced before the end of April, in a coordinated, united, and strong way," she added.