The Firewall with Ports

How exemptions reduce headline tariffs to effective rates — Feb 2026

Each bar represents a country's total imports to the US. The green portion is exempt (FTAs, Annex II, deal carve-outs). The red portion is actually taxed. The headline rate is crossed out. The effective rate is what's really paid. Hover for the full math.

Country

Imports

■ Exempt ■ Taxed

Headline

Effective

Headline Avg

13.5%

Highest since WWII

Effective Avg

9.9%

Highest since 1946

Imports Exempt

50%

By Dec 2025

China's share of revenue

43%

$95B of $222B

Sources: Tax Foundation, USTR, Census Bureau (2024 import data), PIIE, CRS. Effective rates are analytical estimates based on Annex II/III exemptions, FTA qualifying goods (USMCA, CAFTA-DR, Chile FTA, Colombia FTA), deal-specific carve-outs, and Nov 2025 agricultural exemptions. S.232 sector tariffs (steel/aluminum 50%, autos 25%, copper 50%) apply on top of country rates.
Reading the chart: Each bar = 100% of that country's imports. Green = exempt or reduced. Red = taxed at headline rate. The effective rate = actual estimated revenue ÷ total imports. Hover any row for the step-by-step math.