September 26, 2025Open Access

The Trump Administration’s Reciprocal Duties

Key Points

The proposed import tariffs are shown to be unjustified and detrimental to global trade dynamics.
Economic impacts of these tariffs are largely dismissed in favor of analyzing their rationale and calculations.
Descriptive examples highlight the inadequacies of these tariffs as truly reciprocal measures.
The assessment argues that these tariffs are generally ill-advised, posing risks to the world trading system.

Abstract

Abstract This article considers the reciprocal duties proposed by the US administration, 2 April 2025. These are large import tariffs that will significantly disrupt the world trading system. Rather than considering the economic impacts of these tariffs, as others have and are doing, this article documents the rationale used to justify these destructive tariffs and their calculation. Using descriptive examples, the proposed duties are shown to be unfounded as reciprocal and generally ill advised.

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