As the current chaos in the White House continues to unfold, the president would have been hoping for some early vindication for one of his most controversial policies. However, it seems Donald Trump’s tariffs are not having the desired impact.
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Who is affected by Trump’s tariffs?
Trump unleashed a wave of tariffs for scores of countries earlier this month. He eventually reduced the number down to 10% for all affected nations barring China, who find themselves in an escalating, back-and-forth ‘trade war’ with the US administration.
Right-leaning British figures initially hailed the 10% tariffs imposed on the UK as a ‘Brexit victory’. Four days later, however, the EU was also brought down from 20% to the 10% baseline number, before Trump eventually declared a 90-day pause on the tariffs.
How much money are Trump’s tariffs making? Not as much as he says, apparently…
Trump’s tariffs are also threatening growth in the UK and across the world. With the turmoil taking hold, POTUS needs to see signs that his gamble is paying off. But he won’t find them looking at the latest data from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
According to the government agency, an extra $500 million has been collected from the new reciprocal tariffs between 5 – 15 April. This comes from revenue collected before the 90-day pause, and additional charges on goods from China.
CBP data undermines president’s “$2 billion a day” claim.
However, Donald Trump has frequently stated that these new requirements ‘will bring in $2 billion a day’ – a claim that the data refutes. The maths just isn’t adding up for the 78-year-old. But, as it stands, Trump’s tariffs are still scheduled to return in July.
“Since April 5, CBP has collected over $500 million under the new reciprocal tariffs, contributing to more than $21 billion in total tariff revenue since 20 January 2025. Even [with technical issues], CBP’s average revenue stream remained uninterrupted.” | CBP