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Despite pausing some tariffs, Trump’s 10% baseline global tariff is in force

Cargo ships anchored off Southern California. Photo courtesy Captain J. Kipling Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California & Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles and Long Beach San Pedro, CA. Cargo ships anchored off Southern California. Photo courtesy Captain J. Kipling Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California & Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles and Long Beach San Pedro, CA.

Cargo ships anchored off Southern California. Photo courtesy Captain J. Kipling Louttit, executive director of the Marine Exchange of Southern California & Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles and Long Beach San Pedro, CA.

Louis Jacobson
By Louis Jacobson April 11, 2025

During his first three months in office, President Donald Trump has teed up and backed away  from a variety of tariffs. But one that remains in place — for now — is a flat 10% tariff on almost every country in the world, a policy he had promised during his campaign.

On April 2, Trump announced a minimum 10% tariff on every nation, with some countries higher than 10%, effective April 5. 

On April 9, amid plunging stock markets, Trump announced a 90-day pause in the country-by-country tariff levels, but said he would keep the 10% baseline tariffs in place. (China, Canada and Mexico were exempted from the 10% baseline tariff because they already had bilateral U.S. tariffs higher than that.)

The 10% baseline is about quadruple the tariff rate Trump inherited. When he took office, the average effective tariff rate was 2.4%.

It's unclear how long the 10% baseline tariff will be in place. At an April 10 Cabinet meeting, Trump said, "Everybody wants to come and make a deal, and we're working with a lot of different countries, and it's all going to work out very well."

For now, the worldwide baseline tariffs are in force. So we rate this Promise Kept.