US EditionU.S. Tariff Rate Soars To Levels Last Seen In The 1940s
UNITED STATES, AUG 8 – The average US tariff rate reached 20.1%, the highest since the early 1910s, driven by new duties on major trading partners including China and the European Union, WTO and IMF data show.
- On August 7, 2025, new U.S. tariff rates took effect, raising the average to 20.1%, the highest since the early 1910s.
- These tariff increases follow President Trump's April 2 reciprocal tariff announcement targeting major trade partners including Brazil and India.
- Trade agreements with seven countries, among them major economies in Europe and Asia, have reduced certain import tariffs but maintain rates above the initial 10% baseline.
- The Tax Foundation estimates U.S. GDP could shrink by 0.8% and almost 800,000 full-time jobs lost due to tariffs, while after-tax income may decline by 1.4%.
- The tariff surge, resembling levels last seen in the 1940s, implies increased costs for businesses and consumers and suggests continuing trade tensions, especially as a U.S.-China trade truce nears expiration.
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US import duties are currently as high as before the First World War.
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Le Journal de Montreal
Average US tariffs top 20%, back to 1910s levels: WTO and IMF
PARIS: The average US tariff rate has risen to 20.1 per cent, its highest level since the early 1910s – except for a brief spike earlier this year, after new duties took effect on Thursday (Aug 7), data from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and
Paris. The average US tariff reached 20.1%, after the entry into force on Thursday of the new customs duties for dozens of countries, according to calculations by the WTO and IMF, updated on Friday.It is the highest level since the early 1910s, except for a few weeks in 2025.This theoretical rate, calculated by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), is based on constant volumes of trade and was only 2.4% wh…
President Donald Trump’s highest global tariffs came into effect on August 7, forcing dozens of U.S. partners to seek relief from the rising levies that are redefining global trade practices. Credit: AFP The average U.S. tariff reached 20.1%, after the entry into force on Thursday of new customs duties for dozens of countries, according to updated estimates from the WTO and the IMF. It is the highest level since the early 1910s, except for a few…
U.S. tariffs averaged 20.1 per cent after the entry into force of new taxes for dozens of countries on Thursday, according to the updated Friday WTO and IMF calculations, their highest level since the early 1910s, with the exception of a few weeks of 2025.
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