Tariffs & Government

Tariffs & Government is a data page on the Macro desk of Glassbox Auditing. How much the government collects in tariffs and who ends up paying.

Last updated: 29 Sep 2026.

What is the latest reading?

Duties as a share of goods imports: 8.0% as of 2025, +1.6 pts since 1969. Source: FRED B235RC1Q027SBEA, FRED A255RC1Q027SBEA.

What is on this page today?

Tariffs brought in $173B this fiscal year through September 2026, -11.1% on last year — $195B by the same point last year · 3.2% of all federal receipts (U.S. Treasury (Monthly Treasury Statement), 29 Sep 2026)
The U.S. ran a goods trade deficit of $1,177 billion in the 12 months to September 2026, $239 billion of it with Vietnam — $1,311 billion in the 12 months before · goods only, exports at the port and imports at customs value · the five largest deficits by country (Census Bureau and BEA, 29 Sep 2026)

Where does the data come from?

Items on this page come from U.S. Treasury (Monthly Treasury Statement); Census Bureau and BEA. Each item links to its own source. All sources, how items are checked.

What does this page lead to?

Trade Exposure (Companies): Higher tariff rates raise the landed cost of imported parts and goods; companies that import much of their cost of goods carry it in their margins unless they pass it on. (moves the other way; 1-2 quarters; company scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
Prices & Inflation (Macro): Importers pass part of a tariff on to buyers, which shows first in core goods prices in CPI over the following months. (moves the same way; 3-12 months; economy scale) Source: BLS consumer price indexes (food at home and away, airline fares, core goods, gasoline, all items), via FRED.
Budget & Spending (Macro): Customs duties are federal receipts, so higher tariff rates raise collections as long as import volumes do not fall by more. (moves the same way; monthly; economy scale) Source: U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement.
Economies & Debt (World Powers): Tariffs on a partner's goods tend to cut its exports to the U.S., which weighs on export-heavy economies' growth and invites retaliation against U.S. exports. (moves the other way; quarters; global scale) Source: UN Comtrade (U.S. Census trade data).
Supply Map (Companies): Duties that differ by country push importers to move suppliers to lower-duty countries, which changes who supplies whom over a few years. (either way, depending on the cause; 1-3 years; company scale) Source: U.S. Census international trade (duties by product & country).
Auto & Energy (Companies): Tariffs on cars, parts and steel raise automakers' costs, since even U.S.-built cars use many imported parts, and squeeze margins unless prices rise. (moves the other way; 1-2 quarters; sector scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

What feeds this page?

Trade Exposure (Companies): The duties these importers pay are the customs receipts on Tariffs & Government, so higher tariffs on their goods raise federal customs revenue. (moves the same way; months; economy scale) Source: U.S. Census international trade (duties by product & country).
US Map (Domestic Intelligence): States whose output leans on farming, manufacturing or energy (BEA GDP by state) carry most of the exposure to tariffs and foreign retaliation, which shows in their jobs and farm income. (either way, depending on the cause; 1-2 years; economy scale) Source: BEA GDP by state and industry (SAGDP).
Lawmaking (Domestic Intelligence): Recent tariffs were set by executive order and proclamation (Sections 232 and 301, emergency powers), so the executive-action count includes the trade actions behind the tariff take. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks; economy scale) Source: National Archives, executive orders disposition tables.
Social Media (Feed): Tariff announcements have often come first in the President's Truth Social posts, ahead of formal orders; the duties then show in customs receipts on Tariffs & Government. (either way, depending on the cause; days to months; economy scale) Source: CNN archive of Donald Trump's Truth Social posts.
Border (Immigration): In 2025 the U.S. put tariffs on Canada and Mexico under emergency powers, citing migration and fentanyl at the border, which made border conditions a trade-policy lever. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks; global scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
Government (People & Money): Tariff increases since 2018 have come mostly by presidential action under Sections 232 and 301 and emergency powers, published in the Federal Register, so who holds the White House sets much of the tariff take. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks; economy scale) Source: Federal Register API.
Books & Essays (People & Money): Books by trade and Treasury officials set out their positions on tariffs, taxes and the dollar, a public record to compare with the policies those offices adopt. (either way, depending on the cause; years; economy scale) Source: Library of Congress catalog.
Power Board (World Powers): U.S. tariffs are set country by country, highest on rivals such as China and lower for allies with trade deals, so a country's camp shapes the duties its goods pay. (either way, depending on the cause; months; economy scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
Leaders & Policy (World Powers): Tariff rates rest on the sitting U.S. president's orders as much as on law, so a change of leader or policy changes what importers pay. (either way, depending on the cause; weeks; economy scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
Alliances & Blocs (World Powers): Trade agreements within a bloc (USMCA for North America) set lower duties for members' qualifying goods, so membership changes what U.S. importers pay by partner. (either way, depending on the cause; months; economy scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
World Log (World Powers): A country joining or leaving a bloc changes the duties and rules its trade faces, as the U.K.'s exit from the EU in 2020 did. (either way, depending on the cause; months; economy scale) Source: USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule.