It's been a wild ride since the inauguration, and honestly, if you're feeling a bit of whiplash from the Truth Social posts and executive orders, you aren't alone. The biggest question hitting my inbox lately is simple: when does trump’s tariffs start? The answer isn't a single date. It’s more like a rolling wave of deadlines that have already begun crashing onto the shores of American retail and manufacturing. We’ve moved past the "campaign promise" phase. We’re deep into the "customs agents are actually collecting the money" phase.
If you’re running a business or just trying to figure out why your next car or dishwasher is about to get more expensive, you need the actual dates. No fluff, just the timeline.
The Immediate Wave: February and April 2025
Most people think these tariffs are still in the future. They aren't. The first major blow landed on February 1, 2025. This was the day the administration officially hit Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs and China with an additional 10%, specifically targeting what the White House called "the flow of illicit drugs and border security issues."
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Then came the "Reciprocal Tariff" order on April 2, 2025. This was a massive shift. Essentially, the U.S. moved toward a policy where if you tax us, we tax you back at the exact same rate. A universal 10% "baseline" tariff kicked in on April 5, 2025, for almost every country that didn't have a specific exemption.
The Greenland Escalation: February 2026
We are literally standing on the edge of the next big jump. Just yesterday, January 17, 2026, the President dropped a bombshell regarding the ongoing Greenland dispute.
If you haven’t seen the news, eight European allies—including Germany, France, and the UK—sent military personnel to Greenland for "exercises." The administration didn't take kindly to that. As of right now, here is the scheduled start date for the newest round:
- February 1, 2026: A 10% tariff begins on all goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland.
- June 1, 2026: That rate is scheduled to jump to 25% unless a "deal" is reached for the purchase of Greenland.
Basically, if you’re importing German machinery or British gin, your costs are about to spike in about two weeks.
What Happened with China?
China is the one area where we’ve seen some temporary breathing room, believe it or not. After a massive stock market scare in mid-2025, the administration pivoted to a "Trade Arrangement."
Under the current Executive Order signed in November 2025, the most aggressive "heightened reciprocal tariffs" on Chinese goods are suspended until November 10, 2026.
This doesn't mean China is tariff-free. Far from it. They are still paying the 10-25% rates from the first term and the early 2025 orders. But the "nuclear option" of 60% or higher is currently on ice for the next ten months while Beijing buys more American soybeans.
Specific Sector Start Dates
Sometimes the dates depend on what you’re buying, not just where it’s from.
- Steel and Aluminum: Most global imports hit a 50% rate back in mid-2025.
- Copper: A 50% tariff on semi-finished copper products started August 1, 2025.
- De Minimis (The "Temu" Loophole): This was a big one. On August 29, 2025, the exemption for packages under $800 was effectively killed. Now, almost everything coming via e-commerce faces the applicable tariff rate immediately.
- Automobiles: A 25% global tariff on most cars was implemented in September 2025, though some countries like Japan and South Korea negotiated lower 15% rates that are currently in effect.
Why the Confusion?
The reason it’s so hard to keep track is that these aren't just "set it and forget it" taxes. They are used as "leverage." For example, Canada’s tariff on "fentanyl-related" goods was actually repealed on September 1, 2025, after they agreed to new border security measures.
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It’s a game of "if/then." If a country signs a framework agreement, the start date for the higher rate gets pushed back or cancelled. If they join a military exercise the President dislikes, the start date moves up.
Actionable Steps for Your Business
You can’t just wait for the evening news to tell you what’s happening. You have to be proactive.
- Audit Your HTS Codes: Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is being incredibly strict. If your goods are misclassified, you’re not just paying the tariff; you’re paying penalties.
- Check "Country of Origin" Logic: Many companies tried to move assembly to Vietnam to avoid China tariffs. The "Transshipment Penalty" that started in August 2025 adds a 40% penalty if the government thinks you're just "shunting" goods through a third country.
- Watch the February 1 Deadline: if you source from Europe, you have less than 14 days to get your shipments cleared before the 10% Greenland-related duty kicks in.
- Renegotiate Incoterms: If you’ve been shipping "DDP" (Delivered Duty Paid), the seller is eating the cost. If it’s "FOB," you are. Now is the time to look at those contracts before the June 1 jump to 25%.
The bottom line is that the era of "free trade" is effectively on a long-term hiatus. The tariffs started months ago, and the next big escalation is only days away.
Stay on top of the Federal Register and the latest Truth Social posts—as weird as that sounds, it’s currently the most accurate "early warning system" we have for trade policy. By the time it hits the official White House website, the ships are already at the dock.
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Check your shipping manifests for anything arriving from the EU after January 31. If it's on the water now, you might need to scramble to get it through customs before the clock strikes midnight on February 1.