On Wednesday, President Donald Trump unveiled his “Liberation Day” plan for implementing reciprocal tariffs on imports to rectify what he views as a decades-long trade imbalance between the United States and other countries.
At an event in the White House Rose Garden, Trump signed an executive order after he declared that foreign nations will be charged roughly half of what they impose with tariffs, including China and India as well as the European Union.
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FULL LIST: Liberation Day pic.twitter.com/ZBiRuJBCAr
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 2, 2025
Other countries will face steeper penalties in accordance with a 10% baseline, as shown in a poster that Trump held up as he spoke. That means nations such as the United Kingdom and Brazil will face a 10% rate, matching the amount they charge.
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Donald Trump is officially announcing tariffs on each country with a giant poster board.
The thought of Xi Jinping zooming in to find what he's gotta pay is killing me. pic.twitter.com/k9VMQO5buw
— Cabot Phillips (@cabot_phillips) April 2, 2025
“My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day,” Trump said, “… April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America’s destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again.”
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President Trump: "My fellow Americans, this is Liberation Day…April 2, 2025 will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed and the day that we began to make America wealthy again." pic.twitter.com/DIJH6PUmw6
— CSPAN (@cspan) April 2, 2025
He added: “For decades, our country has been looted, pillaged, raped, and plundered by nations near and far, both friend and foe alike. American steel workers, auto workers, farmers, and skilled craftsmen … they really suffered gravely.”
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The Daily Wire’s Mary Margaret Olohan, who was in attendance, said that people in the crowd included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and UAW workers.
UAW members are exuberant as Trump gives their representative an opportunity to speak: pic.twitter.com/p5F4LtTJYj
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) April 2, 2025
Wednesday’s event marks a significant escalation in Trump’s push for tariffs. Talk of a looming trade war has already intensified tensions with other countries, disrupted economies around the world, and raised fears of higher costs.
However, ahead of “Liberation Day,” the United States notched some victories with Israel announcing that it would be removing all tariffs on U.S. products and Vietnam cutting duties on U.S. imports such as cars and liquified natural gas.
“We’re not going to let anyone tell us that American workers and families cannot have the future that they deserve,” Trump said. “We are going to produce the cars, ships, chips, airplanes, minerals, and medicines we need right here in America.”
.@POTUS: "From this day on, we're not going to let anyone tell us American workers and families cannot have the future that they deserve. We are going to produce the cars, ships, chips, airplanes, minerals, and medicines we need right here in America." pic.twitter.com/WHd1HsdCOS
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 2, 2025
Over the past couple of months, Trump moved to implement other tariffs against China as well as Canada and Mexico, prompting them to plot retaliatory measures. He has also revealed 25% tariffs on foreign cars set to begin at midnight.
There is room for negotiation, as evidenced by Trump saying the previously-announced tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China would remain until they stem the flow of drugs and illegal immigration. Amid talks, there have been some pauses.
