WASHINGTON D.C., USA — The United States has recorded a historic surge in tariff revenue, raking in over $87 billion from import duties in just the first six months of 2025, according to fresh data from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, compiled by Agence France-Presse (AFP). This figure surpasses the total tariff revenue collected in the entire 2024 fiscal year, which stood at $79 billion, and positions 2025 as one of the highest revenue-earning years from tariffs in U.S. history.
This dramatic rise in tariff collections reflects the aggressive shift in U.S. trade policy under the renewed administration of President Donald Trump, who returned to the White House with a firm agenda to revamp American trade strategy and reduce reliance on global supply chains. Since taking office, Trump has abandoned the decades-old U.S. tradition of promoting free trade and has instead embraced economic nationalism, imposing tariffs on a wide range of imported goods and trading partners.
In June 2025 alone, the United States collected a staggering $26.6 billion in tariff revenue nearly four times what was generated in January. This marks one of the sharpest monthly spikes ever recorded in the U.S. trade system and signals the growing impact of Trump’s protectionist trade measures on global commerce.
Although the U.S. has reached new trade agreements with several countries, these deals impose considerably higher tariffs than those seen during previous administrations. However, many of these new rates remain lower than the extreme figures Trump had initially threatened. Despite this, the effective rise in tariffs is reshaping global supply chains and encouraging foreign governments to seek bilateral trade deals with the United States before harsher penalties kick in.
According to analysts, this trend could further intensify as the August 1, 2025 deadline approaches. On that date, sweeping new tariffs will come into force, including a 50 percent tariff on copper imports, along with new tariff bands ranging between 11 percent and 50 percent on imports from over 80 countries, including all 27 European Union member states.
President Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Thursday to defend and celebrate the success of his tariff strategy, writing:
“ONE YEAR AGO, AMERICA WAS A DEAD COUNTRY, NOW IT IS THE ‘HOTTEST’ COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.”
He added that the tariffs were making America “great and rich again,” as nations scrambled to comply with U.S. trade terms ahead of the looming deadline.
The last time U.S. tariff revenue reached similar heights was in 2022, when collections peaked at $98 billion, primarily due to retaliatory duties during global trade disputes. However, the trajectory for 2025 suggests that the current year could set a new all-time record, depending on trade volume and enforcement.
Experts warn that while tariff increases may boost short-term government revenue, they also risk inflating consumer prices, disrupting global trade routes, and sparking trade wars with strategic partners such as China, the EU, and Latin American economies. Nevertheless, Trump’s administration appears undeterred, leaning heavily into the rhetoric of economic patriotism, domestic manufacturing, and trade fairness.
As the global trade landscape continues to shift, eyes remain fixed on August 1, 2025, when these new tariff rules take full effect. The impact is expected to ripple across industries from metals and electronics to agricultural imports with significant implications for global commerce and diplomatic relations.