Which of my exports are impacted by US Tariffs?

A tariff is a duty (or tax) imposed by a country, customs territory or a supranational union (such as the European Union) on imported goods and services (or rarely, on exports). 

Tariffs are used to protect domestic industries from foreign competition, gain leverage and drive negotiations and generate revenue.  

When imports enter a country, the importer is responsible for paying the tariff (which usually falls to the consumer or is absorbed by the business) and is collected at the point of entry (importing country or region) by customs authorities (government agency that oversee the regulation of imports and exports).  

Customs assess tariffs and related taxes by evaluating the goods’ classification (using the Harmonized System (HS) code), value and country of origin (the country where the predominant portion of a product is manufactured, produced or cultivated from – this could be different to a country the product is exported from) before the goods are cleared for entry into the domestic market. 

The Trump administration has announced a suite of global tariffs, with Australian exports subject to a 10 per cent ‘baseline tariff’ which applies to over 180 countries (higher ‘reciprocal tariffs’ on almost 60 countries have been suspended for 90 days, with the exception of 145 per cent tariffs on China to date, however, US tariffs and associated exemptions remain emerging). Please note that the exact tariffs percentage for China is subject to continued fluctuation. 

Steel and aluminium exports are also subject to 25 per cent tariffs (bringing the total to 35 per cent on those goods). 

There are a number of emerging exemptions from these tariffs.  These include pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, semiconductors, gold, copper, certain critical minerals, semiconductors, smartphones and communication equipment, computer components, display panels, and other electronic manufacturing parts. 

To stay informed on the latest changes and exemptions, refer to the White House Clarification of Exemptions. 

For more detailed information on specific product tariffs, including applied rates, exemptions, and official definitions, consult the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), which provides comprehensive classification details, chapter notes, and section notes relevant to U.S. trade. 

Please see Austrade go global for additional information on the support for Australian businesses impacted by the US tariff changes.