Reports suggest that U.S. President Donald Trump may choose to exclude certain sector-specific tariffs during the reciprocal tariff announcement on April 2. However, an administration official indicated that the situation remains uncertain, and no final decisions have been confirmed yet. Trump’s declaration of April 2 as “Liberation Day” underscores his agenda to reduce a substantial global goods trade deficit estimated at $1.2 trillion by aligning U.S. tariffs with those of other countries and addressing non-tariff barriers.
In February, Trump indicated he would impose auto tariffs at around 25% and similar duties on semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports. However, after considerable lobbying from the three largest U.S. automakers, he agreed to postpone some of the auto tariffs. Both the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have reported expectations that these sector-specific tariffs will face further delays according to insights from an administration official.
Since his inauguration in January, Trump has employed a tumultuous approach to tariffs, with frequent threats and reversals that sometimes occur hours before deadlines. Notably, he has imposed 20% duties on Chinese imports, reinstated 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum from global sources, and applied 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports related to the opioid crisis. In terms of the upcoming announcement, two senior administration officials—Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett—indicated that the focus would be on countries with significant trade surpluses and notable tariff and non-tariff barriers.
They referred to these target countries as the “Dirty 15.”
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office has called for public comments on the tariffs and emphasized interest in the largest U.S. trade partners with the highest trade surpluses. Key countries highlighted by USTR include Argentina, China, the European Union, India, and Canada, among others, representing 88% of total goods trade with the U.S.