Last Year, Trump Imposed the Largest U.S. Tax Increase Since 1993 [View all]

FEB 11, 2026

In the aftermath of World War II, the United States began dismantling the high-tariff regime that had defined the interwar period. The 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade marked the beginning of a multi-decade shift toward trade liberalization as a central pillar of American economic policy. Over the following decades, tariffs receded as a source of federal revenue and rarely shaped macroeconomic outcomes.

That posture has reversed.

As of early 2026, the average effective tariff rate on U.S. imports — measured as duties collected relative to total import value after behavioral adjustments — stands near 9.9 percent. The import-weighted applied rate — reflecting statutory tariff schedules across products and trading partners — is approximately 13.5 percent. By historical comparison, those levels are the highest observed in the postwar era.

In calendar year 2025, U.S. customs duties — taxes on imported goods — totaled roughly $264 billion in gross collections.

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https://theintellectualistofficial.substack.com/p/last-year-trump-imposed-the-largest