The United States collected more than $87 billion in tariff revenue in the first six months of 2025, outpacing the $79 billion it generated in all of 2024, according to US Treasury data compiled by AFP.
The sharp rise, highlighted in the latest monthly report released on Wednesday, marks a significant boost in collections under President Donald Trump’s renewed protectionist trade agenda.
Since returning to the White House, Trump has dismantled decades of US post-World War II economic policy that emphasized free trade, replacing it with steep tariffs on key goods such as steel and on a wide range of trading partners.
Although the US has reached new trade deals with several countries, the updated tariffs, while generally lower than Trump’s most aggressive threats, still represent a substantial increase compared to previous rates.
The last high point in annual tariff revenue was in 2022, which saw $98 billion collected.
But with June 2025 alone bringing in $26.6 billion, nearly four times the amount recorded in January, this year is on track to set a new record.
Trump, speaking Thursday on his Truth Social platform, praised the results of his sweeping trade measures, writing, “ONE YEAR AGO, AMERICA WAS A DEAD COUNTRY, NOW IT IS THE ‘HOTTEST’ COUNTRY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.” He also claimed the tariffs were making the US “great & rich again” as foreign governments hurried to finalize deals ahead of the August 1 deadline.
On that date, both the newly negotiated trade agreements and a 50 percent tariff on copper imports will come into effect.
For approximately 80 countries, including the 27 European Union member states, tariff rates ranging from 11 to 50 percent are also set to be enforced.
