On April 9, 2025, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on heightened country-specific reciprocal tariffs for most trading partners, with a 10% reciprocal tariff applying during the pause. China was excluded and handled separately. The pause did not repeal the separate 10% baseline tariff or suspend every U.S. tariff, and it is not a guide to rates in effect today.
What Trump announced on April 9, 2025
The announcement followed the April 2 reciprocal-tariff order, which set a 10% baseline tariff and higher country-specific rates. On April 9, Trump said the higher reciprocal rates for most trading partners would be paused for 90 days and that the reciprocal tariff during that period would be 10%, effective immediately. Trump’s statement, recorded by the American Presidency Project, described the pause as a response to countries seeking negotiations.
Trump also said that more than 75 countries had contacted U.S. representatives and had not retaliated. That figure was his assertion in the announcement, not an independently verified count. The administration’s stated rationale for the tariff action included trade deficits, differences in tariff rates, non-tariff barriers and other trading partners’ economic policies; those were the administration’s claims, not findings established by the announcement. The White House’s April 2 fact sheet explains its stated rationale.
Which tariffs were paused—and which remained
The key distinction is between the baseline tariff and the higher country-specific reciprocal rates. The April 9 announcement paused the latter for most trading partners; it did not announce a blanket repeal of the tariff program. The 10% figure during the pause was the reciprocal tariff rate, while the April 2 order had separately established a 10% baseline. The April 2 executive order sets out the original structure.
- Most trading partners: The heightened country-specific reciprocal rates were paused for 90 days; the reciprocal tariff during the pause was 10%.
- China: China was explicitly excluded from the pause and treated separately.
- Other tariffs: The announcement did not say that every tariff imposed under other authorities was suspended.
Was the 90-day pause still in effect?
No. The April 9 measure was temporary, not a permanent tariff change. Later actions altered the policy, including a separate U.S.-China arrangement announced in May 2025 and a subsequent extension of a suspension of heightened China tariffs through November 10, 2025. The Congressional Research Service’s tariff timeline and later White House actions document those changes.
The United States Trade Representative’s index of presidential tariff actions lists additional measures, including a November 2025 U.S.-China action. The April 2025 announcement should therefore be read as one point in a changing policy timeline, not as a current tariff schedule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What this means for current tariff questions
This account describes the April 9, 2025 announcement; it does not establish the complete tariff schedule in force on October 8, 2026. Tariff rates can depend on the product, country of origin, applicable trade action and later changes. Anyone making an import, purchasing or compliance decision should check the applicable current official schedule rather than rely on the 90-day announcement.
For contemporaneous context, the Associated Press reported sharp oil-price movements during the uncertainty around the trade action, with prices falling amid concerns about slower growth and rising after the announcement. That same-day reporting is context, not evidence that the tariff decision caused a lasting change in prices or economic outcomes. AP’s April 9 coverage describes the market reaction.
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