IP Law Daily, VITAL BRIEFING—Trump slaps immediate 50 percent tariffs on imports from countries that supply Iran with weapons, (Apr 13, 2026)
The president’s attempt last year to impose global tariffs based on a claim of international economic emergency was turned back by the Supreme Court, but that decision was based mostly on the fact that the law Trump cited did not provide for the imposition of tariffs.
In this installment of Tariffs Insights, Thomas Thompson discusses a recent Truth Social post from Donald Trump, after agreeing to a two-week cease fire with Iran, where the president announced that his administration is imposing a 50 percent tariff on all imports from countries that supply the Iranian military with weapons. While no country was specifically named as a potential target, one analyst saw the new tariffs as being primarily directed at China in connection with the semiconductor chipmaking equipment it supplies to Iran.
Thompson also explores the formal review process of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which was recently initiated by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The USMCA, which is subject to review every six years, is the trade pact that was negotiated by the first Trump administration to succeed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Formal trade discussions with Canada were initiated last year, but had been cut off by Trump in October after an Ontario political ad cited President Ronald Reagan’s opposition to tariffs.
To read the article, click Trump slaps immediate 50 percent tariffs on imports from countries that supply Iran with weapons.
MainStory: IndustryNewsTrends