Message to the Congress on Regulating Imports With a Reciprocal Tariff To Rectify Trade Practices That Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits

To the Congress of the United States:

Consistent with applicable law, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA) and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), I am providing notice of certain actions I have taken to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States' economy and national security posed by the underlying conditions of our trade with foreign nations, including a lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships, disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers, and foreign economic policies that suppress domestic wages and consumption, as indicated by large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits. That threat has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States in the domestic economic policies of key trading partners and structural imbalances in the global trading system. In my judgement, action under the NEA and IEEPA is necessary and appropriate to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States.

Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025 (Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits) (the "Executive Order"), declares a national emergency arising from nonreciprocal trade as evidenced by large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits. Such trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; inhibited our ability to scale advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense- industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries.

To deal with this national emergency, I have determined that it is necessary and appropriate to impose additional ad valorem duties on imports of goods from our trading partners under IEEPA. The additional ad valorem duties shall be imposed on imports of goods from all U.S. trading partners at varying rates, subject to exceptions specified in the Executive Order. The specific foreign trading partners, and the applicable duty rate for each trading partner, are listed in Annexes I and III of the Executive Order. It is necessary to apply additional duties on the imports of goods from all U.S. trading partners to reduce the overall U.S. global goods trade deficit and incentivize trading partners to take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade practices, as well as align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national security matters.

My Administration will continue to consult with the Congress on our efforts to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat described in this report and the Executive Order. As described in the Executive Order, the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, is authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on this national emergency.

The Executive Order further explains the circumstances that necessitate the exercise of authority under IEEPA and the NEA; why I found that those circumstances constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States, to the national security and economy of the United States; the authorities exercised and the actions to be taken to deal with those circumstances; why I determined that such actions are necessary to deal with those circumstances; and the foreign countries with respect to which such actions are to be taken and why such actions are to be taken with respect to those countries.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.

DONALD J. TRUMP

The White House,

April 7, 2025.