U.S. President Donald Trump was seen holding a chart next to U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick as he gave a speech on tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 2025. Lutnick mentioned on Sunday that the 10% baseline tariff rate on imports from other countries is probably going to stick around for a while, echoing Trump’s previous statements.
“We do expect a 10% baseline tariff to be in place for the foreseeable future,” Lutnick told CNN’s Dana Bash on ‘State of the Union.’ He insisted that consumers wouldn’t bear the brunt of the increased costs from the tariffs, claiming that businesses and countries would be the ones footing the bill.
However, evidence suggests that businesses are already trying to pass on costs to consumers, leading to a drop in consumer confidence since the tariff announcement on April 2. Prices of some household items have already started to rise.
Lutnick defended the tariffs, stating, “Businesses, their job is to try to sell to the American consumer, and domestically produced products are not going to have that tariff, so the foreigners are going to finally have to compete.”
Lutnick’s remarks came shortly after Trump’s announcement that the 10% tariff rate would likely be the minimum for trade deals, with the potential for even higher rates for certain countries. Despite reaching a trade agreement with the United Kingdom, the 10% baseline tariff remains in effect for most goods imported into the U.S.
Trump referred to the 10% baseline number on products from the United Kingdom as a “low number,” indicating that some countries with large trade surpluses could face much higher tariffs. He praised the deal with the United Kingdom, stating, “They made a good deal.”
“Not really sure why this matters, but some tariffs might be much higher because of those massive trade surpluses,” Trump added.
Overall, the future of tariffs and trade deals remains uncertain, with the 10% baseline tariff likely to stay in place for the foreseeable future. As businesses and consumers navigate the impact of these tariffs, only time will tell how the economy will be affected.
