Sweeping new US tariffs take effect

Dozens of trading partners affected

- DAVID LAWDER ANDREA SHALAL

President Donald Trump's higher tariff rates of 10% to 50% on dozens of trading partners kicked in yesterday, testing his strategy for shrinking US trade deficits without massive disruptions to global supply chains, higher inflation and stiff retaliation from trading partners.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency began collecting the higher tariffs at 12:01 am EDT (11:01 am in Thailand) after weeks of suspense over Trump’s final tariff rates and frantic negotiations with major trading partners that sought to lower them.

Goods loaded onto US-bound vessels and in transit before the midnight deadline can enter at lower prior tariff rates before Oct 5, according to a CBP notice to shippers issued this week.

Imports from many countries had previously been subject to a baseline 10% import duty after Trump paused higher rates announced in early April. But since then, Trump has frequently modified his tariff plan, slapping some countries with much higher rates, including 50% for goods from Brazil, 39% from Switzerland, 35% from Canada and 25% from India.