The United States collected over $87 billion in tariff revenue during the first six months of 2025—already exceeding the $79 billion collected in all of 2024, according to U.S. Treasury data compiled by AFP.
The sharp increase comes amid President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy since returning to the White House, marking a significant departure from the post-World War II U.S. tradition of promoting free trade. Under his administration, new tariffs have been imposed on a range of goods and trading partners, notably targeting products like steel and copper.
While the U.S. has since reached agreements with several countries, which set tariff rates considerably higher than previous levels, they remain lower than some of the most extreme measures initially threatened by Trump.
The last time tariff revenue peaked was in 2022, when the total reached $98 billion. June 2025 alone brought in $26.6 billion—almost four times more than January’s collection.
On Thursday, President Trump defended his tariff strategy, claiming it was revitalizing the U.S. economy.
“One year ago, America was a dead country, now it is the ‘hottest’ country anywhere in the world,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform. He also said the tariffs were helping make the country “great & rich again” as global governments rushed to finalize trade deals ahead of an August 1 deadline.
These new trade agreements, as well as a 50% tariff on copper imports, are set to take effect on August 1. For approximately 80 countries—including all 27 European Union members—tariff rates ranging from 11% to 50% will also be implemented.
