As April approaches, the ongoing tariff saga continues to unfold, bringing new developments each day. Expana is tracking the latest headlines and breaking down the key updates as they happen.
March 19, 2025: Trump admin says countries to get new ‘tariff number’ on April 2
The Trump administration will provide countries with their own tariff rate based on several factors including their own tariff rates on the US and other trade barriers.
“On April 2, each country will receive a number that we believe represents their tariffs,” Bessent told Fox Business Network. “For some countries, it could be quite low. For some countries, it could be quite high.”
March 12, 2025: European Commission announces countermeasures to US steel, aluminum tariffs
The European Commission (EC) responded to new US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union (EU) by launching countermeasures on imports from the US into the EU.
As part of the response, the EC will allow the suspension of existing 2018 and 2020 countermeasures against the US to lapse on April 1. These countermeasures target a range of US products, including bourbon, peanut butter, and others, per the AP. The EC then plans to bring into force a new package of countermeasures by mid-April.
The proposed countermeasures are led by a 99-page retaliatory tariff list featuring a wide range of agricultural commodities, including beef, poultry, dairy products, fruit and vegetables, and alcoholic beverages.
All links below are customer access links
– ANALYSIS: US Feed Additive Prices Widen as Tariffs Reshape Market Dynamics
– Expana: European Commission Announces Countermeasures to US Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
– ANALYSIS: Overview of the EU–US Seafood Trade Amid Tariff Uncertainty
– ANALYSIS: China Imposes 100% Tariff on Canadian Peas
– ANALYSIS: Live Lobster Market Faces Uncertainty in the Wake of Tariffs
March 6, 2025: Canada, Mexico tariffs paused for USMCA-compliant imports until April 2
The Trump administration announced that many of the 25% tariffs enacted on Mexico and Canada would be postponed for a month. Specifically, President Trump said that USMCA-compliant imports from Canada and Mexico would be suspended through April 2, 2025.
The USMCA largely maintains NAFTA’s tariff and quota-free trade provisions for most agricultural products between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while expanding market access for US dairy, poultry, and egg exports to Canada.
March 5, 2025: Trump to adjust tariffs
The Trump administration’s tariff policy remained in flux as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested that the president may adjust tariffs on Canada and Mexico on March 5, as Expana reported.
– Expana: US Seafood Targeted in Canada’s Proposed Retaliatory Tariff List (customer access)
March 4, 2025: Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. Countries quickly retaliate
The Trump administration announced that the US would place a broad 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico on March 4. Trump also noted that he would add another 10% tariff on Chinese goods, on top of the initial 10% tariff he placed on the country in February.
“No room left for Mexico or Canada (to make a deal),” Trump told reporters at the White House. “The tariffs are all set. They go into effect tomorrow.”
Canada and China quickly announced retaliatory tariffs. The move reignited tensions between the economic powerhouses, as Expana’s Courtney Shum reported (customer access).
– Expana: ‘The Tariffs Are All Set’: Trump Imposes 25% Tariffs on Canada and Mexico (customer access)
– Expana: Trade Tensions Ignite as Canada and China Hit Back at US Tariffs (customer access)
– ANALYSIS: China Retaliates with Additional Tariffs on US Soybeans (customer access)
– ANALYSIS: China Places Retaliatory Tariffs on US Soy (customer access)
February 27, 2025: Canada, Mexico tariff timeline shifts, EU trade war rumblings begin
There was confusion in the media after US President Donald Trump stated tariffs on Canada and Mexico will be delayed until April 2 during a televised press conference with his cabinet.
However, Trump later said on social media that his tariffs would start on March 4. Confusion continued as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick indicated that America’s neighbors had to satisfy the president’s demands regarding border security and fentanyl crossing into the US border, suggesting that some levies could be enacted next week.
“It’s going to be hard to satisfy,” Trump said following Lutnick’s interjection.
– ANALYSIS: Deep Dive into the World of Snow Crab in 2025 as Canadian Season Looms (customer access)
February 25, 2025: Trump says tariffs on Mexico, Canada are on schedule
President Donald Trump announced Monday that tariffs on Canada and Mexico will take effect at the beginning of March. He also reaffirmed that his reciprocal tariff plan remains on track to begin as early as April.
– Expana: Canada, Mexico Tariffs ‘Will Go Forward’; Reciprocal Tariffs On Schedule (customer access)
February 13, 2025: Trump’s reciprocal tariff plan revealed
President Trump signed a memorandum that could lead to the implementation of reciprocal tariffs on the trading partners of the United States.
“They charge us a tax or tariff, and we charge them the exact same,” Trump said to reporters before signing the memo.
– Expana: Trump Signs Memo to Advance Reciprocal Tariffs, Aims to Balance Trade (customer access)
– ANALYSIS: The Effect of US Tariffs on Food Packaging Materials (customer access)
– ANALYSIS: US Beef Impacts if 25% Tariff on Canada Resumes (customer access)
February 4, 2025: China tariffs move forward
While Canada and Mexico saw a reprieve through February, tariffs on China were pushed through. An additional 10% tariff was slipped on all Chinese imports to the US. China retaliates with its own countermeasures.
– ANALYSIS: Mexico-US Cattle Trade Suspension Impact (customer access)
February 3, 2025: Trump Pauses Tariffs on Canada, Mexico
President Trump postponed tariffs on Canada and Mexico on February 3.
Expana covered the postponement (customer access) after Trump had talked the matter over with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. Both countries agreed to step up border security. Mexico sent 10,000 troops to the US-Mexico border in response.
– ANALYSIS: Tariffs Threaten US Feed and Feed Ingredient Supply Chain (customer access)
– ANALYSIS: US Tariffs could Shift Export Gains Against Rising Costs for Brazil (customer access)
February 1, 2025: Trump slaps tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China
The White House confirms that President Trump would implementing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China. Trump continued to harp on border security and fentanyl trafficking for the reasons behind the tariff implementation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reports on January 31 that Trump will implement 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico and a 10% duty on China starting on February 1. The White House later published a fact sheet regarding the tariff implementation on February 1, as Expana reported at the time.
The announcement sparked immediate reaction from the US’ North American neighbors. Canada ordered a 25% tariff on some US goods starting on February 4. The Associated Press reported that the initial wave will focus on US beverages, cosmetics and paper products worth $20 billion. Another list was expected to follow focused on more agri-food commodities.
Expana’s tariff coverage highlights (customer access links only):
– Expana: What Trump Tariffs Mean for Food and Agriculture Trade
– Expana: US Meat Trade Faces Uncertainty Ahead of Tariff Implementation
– Expana: Trump’s Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China Could Reshape Global Oilseeds and Grain Trade
January 20, 2025: Trump’s inauguration
Trump shared a similar message at his inauguration and through a litany of executive orders, he mentioned that the administration was “thinking” about placing 25% tariffs on its neighbors, Mexico and Canada. However, these comments were not made during his inauguration speech or at a rally held later that day.
November 2024: Trump’s reelection
Ahead of the 2024 election, Expana covered what each candidate would mean for the agri-food trade. Prior to the election, Trump often noted that he would impose 10% tariffs on all US imports, along with a massive 60% tariff on Chinese products.
After the election, Trump remained steadfast on his tariff agenda, sending warning shots to countries previously involved in trade wars, along with US allies.
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States…” he wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
Biden administration carries Trump tariffs forward
During former President Joe Biden’s administration, the majority of tariffs implemented by Trump remained in place. The Biden administration did enact sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
As Expana’s 2024 U.S. Presidential Election whitepaper pointed out, the Biden administration has maintained most of Trump’s tariffs from the U.S.-China trade war in place. Trade war tariffs collected under the Biden administration totaled $144.3 billion through March 2024, compared to $89.1 billion collected under Trump.
US-China trade war
During Trump’s first term much of the trade disputes revolved around China sparking a trade war between two of the biggest economies on the planet. Retaliatory tariffs on both sides were the norm with the US slapping levies on most Chinese goods. In 2018, the initial tariffs impacted a wide range of goods, from electronics to agricultural goods like soybeans, as Expana reported at the time.
By the end of Trump’s term in 2020, the US and China signed a “Phase One” trade deal. China agreed to increase its purchases of US goods and services by $200 billion over two years, while the U.S. agreed to reduce some tariffs.
While Trump did use the threat of tariffs on Mexico and Canada, it eventually led to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which came into place in 2020.
Authored by:
Ryan Doyle
Expana
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