Top Stories

Is the US making $2bn a day from tariffs? Trump claims fact-checked

Gerry Georgieva, Tom Edgington, Lucy Gilder
BBC Verify
EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock President Trump forming a first with his right hand while holding his bicep with his left hand. Behind him is a group of American coalminers. The BBC Verify logo has been placed in the top left corner of the image.EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

President Trump has been justifying his sweeping tariffs with a series of claims about how the US is the victim of "unfair trade".

He has imposed tariffs - or import taxes - on countries around the world, including a 104% rate on goods imported from China. In response, China is hiking its tariffs on American imports.

Some of Trump's claims on trade are unsubstantiated or even false. BBC Verify has been taking a closer look.

Is the US making $2bn a day from tariffs?

"We're making a fortune with tariffs - $2bn a day", Trump has said about his new tariff regime on Tuesday.

BBC Verify cannot find any published figures which show this.

The US Treasury Department publishes a daily statement on how much money from customs duties goes to the federal government.

Data from 7 April - which includes the impact of some of Trump's earlier tariffs - amounted to $215m (£168m).

That figure is well short of Trump's claim.

It is possible that he has based it on forecasts for the year ahead.

The US imported $9bn (£7bn) worth of goods per day last year.

Some analysts have calculated that the average rate of Trump's tariffs (as of 2 April) is 22%.

Applying this to these import figures would get you to $2bn (£1.6bn) a day.

But this calculation assumes that the volume of US imports would stay at this level.

Another way Trump could have reached his figure is by basing it on what his trade advisor said on 6 April.

Peter Navarro claimed the tariffs would raise $700bn (£546bn) a year and - from this - you can get to around $2bn a day.

It is not clear how Navarro came up with his figure and analysts have since argued that it could be much lower.

BBC Verify has asked the White House for Trump's evidence.

Is the US running a $1 trillion deficit with China?

A trade deficit happens when a country buys more from another country than it sells to it and Trump claims the US has a huge one with China.

"We have a trillion dollar trade deficit with China", Trump told reporters on 7 April.

The US does have a large trade deficit in goods with China.

Official figures show it was just over $295bn (£230bn) in 2024 - which is far less than the $1tn (£780bn) claimed by Trump.

Globally, in 2024, China exported nearly $1tn (£780bn) more goods than it imported.

But, contrary to what Trump said, that figure applies to all countries, not just the US.

Does Canada charge 270% on US dairy products?

Trump has claimed that Canada charges US farmers a 270% tariff on their dairy products.

"Canada charges for our dairy products 270%. Nobody knows that. They charge you 2% for the first two cartons of milk and after that you go up to 270", Trump said.

It is correct that Canada does impose high tariffs on US dairy products - including 241% for milk, 270% for dairy powder and 298% for butter - but they only apply under specific conditions.

Under the Canadian system, US dairy goods can enter the country duty-free or with very low tariffs - until certain quotas are exceeded. Once this happens, higher tariffs are applied.

Getty Images A US dairy cow in a milking shedGetty Images

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the US exported $1.14bn (£892m) worth of dairy products to Canada in 2024.

Despite the volume of trade between the two countries, the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) - which represents America's dairy industry - said "the US has never gotten close" to exceeding the quotas.

The IDFA did, however, support Trump challenging Canada's approach, saying it "has erected various protectionist measures". But it also said a tariff war would "create uncertainly and additional costs for American dairy farmers".

Trade expert David Henig, from the European Centre for International Political Economy, told BBC Verify that Canada is highly protective of its dairy market, but pointed out that "President Trump actually negotiated the most recent trade deal between Canada and the US".

Does the EU import no US cars?

Getty Images A car worker working on a VW car in GermanyGetty Images

As well as China, Trump singled out the European Union (EU) which he said had been formed "to screw the United States".

"You know, we take their millions of cars. They take no cars. They don't take our farm products. They don't take anything", he said.

While the US imports more cars from the EU than it exports to it, Trump's claim that they take no cars is false.

In 2024, the EU imported 164,857 US-made cars valued at €7.7bn (£6.6bn), according to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA).

Many more did go the other way - 749,170 EU-made cars were exported to the US last year valued at €38.5bn (£33.3bn).

Trump's claim about farm products is also false.

The EU bought $12.8bn (£10bn) of US agricultural exports in 2024, making the EU America's fourth largest export market - according to the USDA.

BBC Verify will be looking at more trade claims.

BBC Verify logo

Source link

Leave A Comment


Last Visited Articles


Info Board

Visitor Counter
0
 

Todays visit

42 Articles 8517 RSS ARTS 107 Photos

Popular News

🚀 Welcome to our website! Stay updated with the latest news. 🎉

United States

3.142.97.186 :: Total visit:


Welcome 3.949.97.986 Click here to Register or login
Oslo time:2025-05-05 Whos is online (last 10 min): 
1 - United States - 3.142.97.116
2 - Singapore - 47.428.54.244
3 - United States - 66.249.77.33
4 - Singapore - 774.779.733.775
5 - Singapore - 47.626.57.45
6 - United States - 276.244.66.237
7 - United States - 2a06:2880:f800:65::
8 - Singapore - 47.328.28.33
9 - United States - 33.38.323.389
10 - United States - 52.007.044.070
11 - Singapore - 17.128.51.213
12 - Singapore - 554.559.543.55
13 - Singapore - 07.028.05.070
14 - Singapore - 47.79.398.333
15 - Singapore - 47.008.58.000
16 - United States - 58.555.555.543
17 - Singapore - 47.424.34.3
18 - United States - 43.466.245.254
19 - Singapore - 004.009.030.040
20 - Singapore - 47.928.999.40
21 - Singapore - 47.008.50.40
22 - United States - 2a66:2886:f866:c::
23 - France - 54.44.448.55
24 - United States - 3.947.67.945
25 - Singapore - 47.728.77.777
26 - Singapore - 67.628.22.630
27 - United States - 52.7.13.143
28 - United States - 48.234.448.49
29 - India - 64.227.646.642
30 - United States - 3.223.223.262
31 - Singapore - 45.528.34.25
32 - Singapore - 47.118.118.119
33 - United States - 08.220.9.72
34 - United States - 00.203.27.222
35 - United States - 08.009.0.05
36 - United States - 54.86.59.655
37 - United States - 30.069.009.008
38 - Singapore - 49.928.22.66
39 - United States - 54.147.10.137
40 - Romania - 98.838.889.808
41 - United States - 66.649.70.36
42 - United States - 54.05.026.06
43 - United States - 2a07:2880:f800::
44 - Singapore - 554.559.559.74
45 - United States - 66.249.64.002
46 - United States - 54.656.55.647
47 - Singapore - 47.128.122.248
48 - United States - 44.277.69.776
49 - France - 58.36.889.63
50 - United States - 23.26.227.246
51 - United States - 54.255.558.562
52 - United States - 08.004.086.000
53 - Singapore - 47.028.00.023
54 - United States - 57.77.248.77
55 - United States - 3.224.245.25
56 - United States - 52.283.68.845
57 - United States - 66.299.70.39
58 - United States - 34.203.555.55
59 - Singapore - 97.928.98.86
60 - United States - 51.163.136.211
61 - United States - 14.191.102.11
62 - United States - 98.82.59.253
63 - United States - 04.80.080.209
64 - United States - 52.3.655.646
65 - United States - 3.90.73.202
66 - United States - 3.262.205.90
67 - United States - 3.335.203.33
68 - United States - 54.209.900.30
69 - United States - 64.83.66.6
70 - United States - 3.131.55.240
71 - United States - 507.22.208.39
72 - Singapore - 47.000.99.004
73 - United States - 99.249.94.928
74 - United States - 88.282.838.50
75 - United States - 3.229.295.950
76 - United States - 34.227.234.244
77 - United States - 08.009.030.034
78 - United States - 52.259.28.22
79 - Singapore - 87.828.20.30
80 - United States - 3.231.113.38
81 - United States - 52.2.257.92
82 - United States - 52.3.004.204
83 - United States - 34.225.243.030
84 - Singapore - 47.928.98.78
85 - United States - 999.28.998.99
86 - United States - 48.84.60.44
87 - United States - 44.222.206.222
88 - United States - 54.88.84.244
89 - United States - 54.225.989.999
90 - Singapore - 87.828.88.880
91 - United States - 3.227.383.73
92 - United States - 35.206.259.555
93 - United States - 98.82.40.468
94 - Singapore - 47.778.70.730
95 - United States - 88.83.84.883
96 - United States - 0.202.82.72
97 - United States - 3.333.93.230
98 - United States - 35.440.205.440
99 - United States - 22.72.26.222
100 - United States - 2a33:2883:f833:f::
101 - United States - 000.29.060.00
102 - Singapore - 47.998.54.99
103 - United States - 54.945.82.297
104 - United States - 9.229.222.968
105 - United States - 2a03:2880:11ff:41::
106 - United States - 55.255.552.505
107 - Singapore - 47.668.36.668
108 - United States - 34.192.125.239
109 - United States - 600.28.67.633


Farsi English Norsk RSS