The United States on Tuesday began enforcing a new 10 per cent global tariff on most imports, even as the Donald Trump administration signalled that the levy is expected to rise to 15 per cent, with a White
House official saying the President has had “no change of heart” on the higher rate.
Hours after the US Customs and Border Protection issued a notice implementing the 10 per cent duty, a senior White House official told Reuters that the administration remains committed to increasing the tariff to 15 per cent.
However, no timeline was provided for when the higher rate would be formally notified.
President Donald Trump had announced the 15 per cent tariff hike on Saturday, shortly after unveiling the new 10 per cent duties under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
The Section 122 tariffs replace earlier duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, which were recently struck down by the US Supreme Court in a 6–3 ruling that deemed the emergency tariffs illegal.
In a notice aimed at “providing guidance regarding the February 20, 2026 Presidential Proclamation,” US Customs said that, except for exempted products, all imports would now be “subject to an additional ad valorem rate of 10%.”
The agency confirmed that collection of the new duties began around midnight, while the earlier IEEPA-based tariffs were annulled.
The rollout of the lower rate has added to uncertainty around Washington’s trade policy, particularly after Trump’s public declaration that tariffs would rise to 15 per cent.
The customs notice did not explain why the 10 per cent rate was implemented first, despite the President’s announcement.
Earlier, The Financial Times had quoted a White House official as saying the increase to 15 per cent would come at a later stage. Under Section 122, the President is authorised to impose tariffs of up to 15 per cent for a maximum period of 150 days, unless Congress votes to extend them.
The law allows such measures to address “large and serious” balance-of-payments deficits and fundamental international payments problems.
The evolving tariff regime has sparked concern among trading partners and businesses, who are seeking clarity on the final rate and its duration, even as the administration defends the move as necessary to protect US economic interests.
