US trade actions timeline: every major tariff change from 2018 to 2026

The US tariff landscape changed more between 2018 and 2026 than in the preceding 30 years. What started as a Section 232 steel investigation grew into a layered tariff regime touching nearly every consumer goods category. This is the timeline — every major US trade action of the period, when it was announced, when it took effect, and what HTS chapters it touched.

The pre-2018 baseline

Prior to 2018, the US import duty regime had three core layers.

MFN (Most-Favored Nation) rates from the WTO commitment schedule, ranging from 0% on most goods to 16% on apparel.

FTA preferences — duty-free access for goods qualifying under NAFTA, KORUS, US-Australia, US-Singapore, and similar agreements.

Targeted AD/CVD orders on specific products from specific countries.

Section 301 had not been used as a major tariff vehicle since the 1980s. Section 232 had not been used at all in modern memory. IEEPA had been used for sanctions but never for general tariffs. By April 2026, all three had been activated and integrated into a permanent layered duty structure.

2018 — The opening moves

March 2018 — Section 232 steel and aluminium. 25% on steel articles and 10% on aluminium, citing national security. Initial scope: ~$48B of imports across HTS chapters 72, 73 (partly), and 76. Several countries (Australia, Argentina, South Korea, Brazil) negotiated quotas in exchange for exemption.

July 2018 — Section 301 List 1. First $34B at 25%, covering industrial machinery, mostly Chapter 84 and 85 sub-headings.

August 2018 — Section 301 List 2. Another $16B at 25%, chemicals, plastics, intermediates.

September 2018 — Section 301 List 3 (initial 10%). $200B at 10%, framed as a step-up to 25% if China did not concede. List 3 reached far into consumer goods.

2019 — Escalation and consumer impact

May 2019 — List 3 increased to 25%. Negotiations stalled; the rate jumped from 10% to 25% on $200B of imports. The moment Section 301 began to be visible in retail prices.

September 2019 — Section 301 List 4A. First wave of explicitly consumer-facing goods at 7.5% — apparel, footwear, consumer electronics, sporting goods.

November 2019 — USMCA signed. Successor to NAFTA, ratified during 2019, formally entering force July 2020.

December 2019 — List 4B suspended. A planned second tranche covering smartphones, laptops, video game consoles was suspended under the "Phase One" agreement and has never been implemented.

2020 — USMCA in force, COVID disruption

January 2020 — Phase One China deal. China committed to additional purchases of US agricultural and energy products. The US committed to not raising existing tariffs and to halve List 4A from 15% (which had been signaled) to 7.5%.

July 2020 — USMCA enters force. Preferential duties began applying to qualifying Mexico- and Canada-origin imports.

Throughout 2020 — Section 232 derivative articles. Commerce expanded the Section 232 derivative articles list to include nails, fasteners, structural shapes, and other downstream steel and aluminium products.

2021–2022 — Pause and recalibration

The Biden administration entered office in January 2021 and signalled a review of Section 301. No major rollbacks occurred; existing rates remained in place.

February 2022 — Section 232 EU steel/aluminium quota. The EU and US negotiated a tariff-rate quota replacing the across-the-board Section 232 on EU steel and aluminium. Up to defined volumes entered duty-free; above-quota volumes carried the 25%/10% rates.

Late 2022 — UK and Japan equivalent arrangements. Similar tariff-rate quota arrangements were finalised with the UK and Japan, providing limited Section 232 relief for those allies.

October 2022 — CHIPS Act takes effect. Not a tariff action per se, but a major industrial policy intervention shaping the semiconductor trade flow.

2023 — Section 301 four-year review begins

Section 301 tariffs are subject to a statutory four-year review. The review process opened in May 2023 and remained open through 2024, soliciting comments from industry on which lines should be retained, modified, or removed.

August 2023 — Inflation Reduction Act electric vehicle subsidies. Not a tariff per se, but the IRA's electric vehicle tax credits required vehicles to be built in North America with batteries sourced from FTA partners — effectively expanding the domestic-content premium beyond direct tariffs.

2024 — The strategic-sector adjustment

May 2024 — USTR strategic-sector tariff increases. The four-year review concluded with a focused list of increases: BEVs 25% → 100%; lithium-ion batteries (EV) 7.5% → 25%; solar cells 25% → 50%; semiconductors (legacy node) 25% → 50% (effective 2025); steel and aluminium (specific) 0–7.5% → 25%; ship-to-shore cranes 0% → 25%; syringes and needles 0% → 50%; PPE and rubber gloves 7.5% → 25% (phased 2026–2027).

The action was designed to align tariff policy with industrial-strategy priorities rather than apply uniform increases.

September 2024 — CBP Section 321 NPRM. A proposed rule constraining the de minimis exemption — particularly for Section 301-covered goods. Final rule discussions continued into 2025.

2025 — IEEPA reciprocal tariffs

Q1 2025 — IEEPA executive actions. A series of executive orders introduced a new layer of "reciprocal" tariffs based on each country's trade balance with the US and average tariff levels applied to US exports. The structure: a 10% baseline on most countries, with elevated rates for those classified as "non-reciprocal."

Q2–Q4 2025 — Reciprocal rate revisions. Rates revised six times during 2025, with rates for individual countries adjusted upward and downward based on bilateral negotiations. Several countries (Mexico, Canada, Israel, Australia) received exemptions or lower rates due to existing FTA relationships.

Late 2025 — Section 232 derivative expansion. A second expansion of the derivative articles list brought additional product categories under the 25% steel and aluminium surcharge.

2026 — Where we are now

As of April 2026, the duty regime stands as follows.

MFN baseline unchanged from pre-2018 schedules. Section 301 in force on Lists 1, 2, 3, 4A, plus the May 2024 strategic adjustments. Section 232 in force at 25% on steel and 25% on aluminium (raised from 10% in 2025), plus an expanded derivatives list. IEEPA reciprocal in force with country-specific rates, currently in active legal challenge in federal court. Section 321 constrained — China-origin Section 301-covered goods no longer eligible. AD/CVD orders active as before, with new orders continuously added.

The total layered duty rate on a typical consumer goods import from China is now in the 25–45% range, depending on HTS line.

What's pending in 2026

Active litigation. Federal courts are reviewing the legal basis for IEEPA-based tariffs. A successful challenge could vacate or limit the IEEPA layer.

Congressional action. Multiple bills addressing Section 321 reform and tariff authority have been introduced. Whether any pass during 2026 remains uncertain.

USMCA review. Subject to a six-year review beginning in 2026. The review can recommend amendments or, in extremis, termination. Labour enforcement provisions and the autos/electronics rules of origin are expected focus areas.

Section 301 next-cycle review. The next four-year review begins in 2028, but the staff work and Federal Register comment process will start earlier.