Thu Apr 03 21:10:00 UTC 2025: ## President Declares National Emergency, Imposes Tariffs to Combat Trade Deficit
**Washington, D.C. – April 2, 2025** – President Donald J. Trump today declared a national emergency, citing a large and persistent U.S. goods trade deficit as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to national security and the economy. The President’s action triggers the immediate imposition of a 10% ad valorem duty on nearly all imports, with higher tariffs to follow for specific countries detailed in an accompanying Annex.
The declaration, supported by investigations completed earlier this year, attributes the deficit to a lack of reciprocity in global trade, pointing to disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers imposed by key trading partners. These barriers, the order states, include high tariffs on U.S. goods, restrictive regulations, suppressed wages in other countries leading to reduced demand for U.S. exports, and unfair trade practices.
The President argues that decades of U.S. trade policy based on the principle of reciprocity have failed, leading to a hollowing-out of the U.S. manufacturing base, weakened supply chains, and dependence on foreign adversaries for critical goods, including defense materials. He highlighted the decline in U.S. manufacturing output as a share of global output, and the loss of millions of manufacturing jobs since 1997. The order also notes the resulting vulnerability of the U.S. economy to supply chain disruptions, as evidenced by shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new tariffs aim to rebalance trade flows, with a 10% duty initially imposed on all imports. This will increase to higher rates for specific countries listed in Annex I, effective April 9th. Exceptions are made for certain goods outlined in Annex II, including those already subject to existing tariffs and specific products deemed essential. The President retains the authority to modify these tariffs based on the effectiveness of this action and responses from other nations.
The White House emphasizes that this action is intended to protect U.S. jobs, bolster domestic manufacturing, and strengthen national security. The President called on both the public and private sectors to support these efforts. Regular reports to Congress on the national emergency’s progress will be submitted as mandated by law. The order also specifies that existing trade agreements will be modified to the extent required to fully implement this action.
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