As of 00:01 on Saturday (06:01 in Italy), the new 10% customs duties imposed by the US administration officially came into effect.
Article Key Points
The measure affects most of the products imported into the United States from the rest of the world, adding to existing tariffs and paving the way for a new front of tension in global trade.
The measure, announced in recent days by the White House, represents a significant hardening of American trade policy and risks triggering chain reactions among international partners, already on alert for the economic repercussions of the measure.
Downward revision for French overseas territories
Among the last-minute changes is the reduction in tariffs planned for two French overseas territories that were initially set to face much higher duties: Réunion, in the Indian Ocean, and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a small archipelago in the North Atlantic.
According to an initial version of the list released by the White House on Wednesday, imports from Réunion would have been hit with a 37% tariff, while those from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon would have faced a 50% levy.
However, an updated version of the measure, seen by AFP, shows that both regions will be subject to the “standard” 10% tariff, like most of the affected countries.
This revision aligns the two territories with other French overseas collectivities, including Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Mayotte, which are already subject to 10% tariffs.
Concerns about global impact
The new tariff package is seen by many analysts as a high-impact move, which could further destabilize the balance of international trade.
The tariff increase, although limited in percentage, affects many economic sectors across the board and risks triggering a series of countermeasures by the affected countries.
The next few weeks will be crucial to understand the true extent of the measures and the reactions of trading partners, especially in Europe and Asia, where heavy repercussions on exports are feared.
Article published on 5 April 2025 - 09:50
These new tariffs that have come into force seem like a very complicated thing for global trade and it is not known how this will affect the prices of the products we buy every day, but hopefully it will not be too serious.