US President Donald Trump's tariff decisions since he took office in January 2025 have shocked financial markets and sent a wave of uncertainty through the global economy.
Here is a timeline of the major developments in Mr Trump's trade war.
1 February 2025 - Trump orders 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% on goods from China, demanding the three countries curb the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the US.
10 February 2025 - Mr Trump raises tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to a flat 25%.
3 March 2025 – Mr Trump says 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will take effect from 4 March and doubles tariffs on all Chinese imports to 20%.
26 March 2025 – Mr Trump unveils a 25% tariff on imported cars and light trucks.
2 April 2025 – Mr Trump announces global tariffs with a baseline of 10% across all imports and significantly higher duties on imports from some countries.
9 April 2025 - Mr Trump pauses most country-specific tariffs that kicked in less than 24 hours earlier. The 10% blanket duty on almost all US imports stays in place. Mr Trump says he will raise tariffs on Chinese imports to 125% from the 104% level that took effect a day earlier, pushing the extra duties on Chinese goods to 145%.
9 May 2025 – Mr Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announce a limited bilateral trade agreement that leaves in place 10% tariffs on British imports to the United States.
12 May 2025 - The US and China agree to slash tariffs for 90 days. The US cuts the extra tariffs imposed on Chinese imports to 30%, while China reduces duties on US imports to 10% from 125%.
29 May 2025 - A federal appeals court temporarily reinstates the most sweeping of MrTrump's tariffs, pausing an earlier lower court's ruling to consider the government's appeal.
3 June 2025 – Mr Trump signs an executive proclamation hiking tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to 50%.
3 July 2025 – Mr Trump says the US will place a 20% tariff on many imports from Vietnam, with trans-shipments from third countries through Vietnam facing a 40% levy.
7 July 2025 - Mr Trump says additional higher duties announced previously will kick in on 1 August. In letters sent to 14 countries, he says that will include tariffs between 25% and 40%.
15 July 2025 – Mr Trump says the US and Indonesia made a new framework agreement under which the US will reduce threatened tariffs on Indonesian goods to 19% from 32%.
22 July 2025 – Mr Trump strikes a trade deal with Japan that includes lowering tariffs on auto imports to 15%.
30 July 2025 - The US reaches a deal with South Korea reducing the planned levies on imports to 15%.
31 July 2025 - Mr Trump signs an executive order imposing import tariffs ranging from 10% to 41% on 69 trading partners ahead of the trade deal deadline. He issues an order increasing the tariff rate on Canadian goods.
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6 August 2025 – Mr Trump imposes an additional 25% tariff on goods from India, saying the country directly or indirectly imported Russian oil.
7 August 2025 – Mr Trump's higher tariffs on imports from dozens of countries kick in, leaving major trade partners like Switzerland, Brazil and India scrambling for a better deal.
11 August 2025 – Mr Trump extends tariff truce with China for another 90 days, withholding imposition of three-digit duties until 10 November.
21 August 2025 - The US and EU lock in a framework trade deal that sets duties at 15% on most imports.
30 September 2025 - Mr Trump slaps duties of 10% on imported timber and lumber and 25% on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and upholstered furniture.
14 January 2026 - Mr Trump imposes a 25% tariff on certain AI chips, such as the Nvidia H200 AI processor and as imilar semiconductor from AMD.
17 January 2026 – Mr Trump vows to implement a wave of tariffs on eight European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland, saying additional 10% tariffs would take effect on 1 February and increase to 25% on 1 June.
20 January 2026 - Mr Trump threatens France with tariffs of 200% on French wine and champagne, in a move he claimed would push Emmanuel Macron to join Mr Trump's so-called 'Board of Peace' initiative
