Trump promises more product-specific tariffs, with new twists

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President Donald Trump in late September promised more product-specific tariffs, though at time of publication had only followed through on one tranche of the anticipated tariffs: higher import duties on wood products. Trump also signaled a potential shift in his administration’s prior “no exceptions” approach, carving out the first company exemption to promised tariffs on a particular sector. And on Oct. 6 the president posted that he would order the imposition of new 25% tariffs on medium and heavy trucks starting on Nov. 1.

Unlike country-by-country tariffs imposed earlier this year, the sectoral tariffs are not subject to an ongoing legal challenge and rely on less controversial interpretation of existing law.

The administration did move forward on long-promised tariffs on wood products, including a 10% baseline tariff on softwood timber and lumber and 25% on furniture, in a proclamation issued on Sept. 29. The new tariff rates go into effect on Oct. 14. The same proclamation dictates that tariffs on upholstered wooden products and on kitchen cabinets and vanities will rise to 30% and 50%, respectively, on Jan. 1, 2026.

However, products from the European Union, United Kingdom and Japan will be tariffed at previously agreed-upon rates set by de-escalatory frameworks reached over the summer, which cap U.S. tariffs on UK products at 10% and on products from the EU and Japan at 15%. The proclamation also mentioned a potential agreement with other countries that addresses “the threatened impairment of the national security posed by imports of wood products.”.

Despite a Sept. 25 social media post promising 100% pharmaceutical tariffs on “any branded or patented Pharmaceutical Product” on Oct. 1, the White House has not yet formally imposed new tariffs on prescription drug-related imports. In his post, Trump left open the door for a significant exemption, saying that if a company plans pharmaceutical production in the U.S., then its products will not face tariffs. By definition, only imports are subject to tariffs, not domestically manufactured products, so any domestically produced product would already be tariff-free. However, Trump’s statement seemed to imply that the exemption would extend to all products from a qualifying company, regardless of country of origin.

That approach may have led to the first high-profile company exemption from tariffs. On Sept. 30, the White House announced that it plans to launch a new government marketplace for prescription drugs, “Trump Rx,” intended to facilitate more direct-to-consumer sales for drug manufacturers. Pfizer is the first company to sign on and will receive a three-year exemption from tariffs on its products as a result. The administration also has yet to issue the 100% pharmaceutical tariff order Trump promised for months, leading to speculation that more company agreements are imminent. It’s unclear if any of the holdup might involve the ongoing government shutdown that began on Oct. 1, as the Commerce Department, which writes guidance around Sec. 232 product-specific tariffs, furloughed 81% of its workforce. Customer and Border Protection, which enforces tariffs, did not plan to furlough or lay off employees as of Oct. 6.

Meanwhile, the Commerce Department opened its public comment period for additional sectoral tariffs on industrial machinery, robotics and medical supplies on Sept. 26. The public comment period closes on Oct. 17, meaning additional tariffs could be put on those products later this year or early next year.

Trump also renewed a threat first made in May for 100% tariffs “on any and all movies that are made outside of the United States,” but it is unclear how, or if, such tariffs could be imposed, since tariffs apply only to physical products.

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