Chart: The Average U.S. Tariff Rate (1890-2025)

Dorothy Neufeld
2025-04-10 13:42:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Charted: The Average U.S. Tariff Rate Since 1890

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Key Takeaways

The U.S. average effective tariff rate on imports spiked to 14.5%—its highest level since 1938.
In 2024, the average rate was 2.5%.
The situation is developing. However, as of April 9th, the newly imposed tariffs were projected to generate $206.6 billion in federal revenue and slash imports by 30% in 2025.

On almost a weekly—if not daily basis—American trade policy changes.

While Trump imposed heavy reciprocal tariffs on about 100 nations last week, he announced a 90-day pause on countries that didn’t retaliate on April 9th. Overall, the 10% blanket tariff on U.S. imports remains in place.

This graphic shows the U.S. import average tariff rate over history, based on data from the Tax Foundation.

A Brief History of U.S. Tariffs

In 2025, the average U.S. tariff on imports has surged to 14.5%—the highest level in nearly 90 years.

As trade tensions escalate, tariffs on China jumped to 125% and China’s levies on America now stand at 84%. In response, market volatility is spiking given the unpredictable nature of Trump’s trade policy.

Below, we show how U.S. tariff rates have evolved since 1890:

Year	Average rate on all imports (%)
2025	14.5
2024	2.5
2023	2.4
2022	2.8
2021	3.0
2020	2.8
2019	2.7
2018	1.8
2017	1.4
2016	1.5
2015	1.5
2014	1.4
2013	1.4
2012	1.3
2011	1.3
2010	1.4
2009	1.4
2008	1.2
2007	1.3
2006	1.4
2005	1.4
2004	1.5
2003	1.6
2002	1.7
2001	1.6
2000	1.6
1999	1.8
1998	2.0
1997	2.1
1996	2.3
1995	2.5
1994	3.0
1993	3.2
1992	3.3
1991	3.4
1990	3.3
1989	3.4
1988	3.4
1987	3.5
1986	3.6
1985	3.8
1984	3.7
1983	3.7
1982	3.6
1981	3.4
1980	3.1
1979	3.5
1978	4.0
1977	3.7
1976	3.9
1975	3.9
1974	3.8
1973	5.0
1972	5.7
1971	6.1
1970	6.5
1969	7.1
1968	7.1
1967	7.5
1966	7.6
1965	7.6
1964	7.4
1963	7.4
1962	7.6
1961	7.2
1960	7.2
1959	7.1
1958	6.5
1957	6.0
1956	5.9
1955	5.9
1954	5.4
1953	5.5
1952	5.3
1951	5.6
1950	6.1
1949	5.7
1948	5.9
1947	7.9
1946	10.3
1945	9.6
1944	9.9
1943	11.6
1942	11.6
1941	13.6
1940	12.5
1939	14.4
1938	15.5
1937	15.6
1936	16.8
1935	17.5
1934	18.4
1933	19.8
1932	19.6
1931	17.8
1930	15.8
1929	13.5
1928	13.3
1927	13.8
1926	13.4
1925	13.2
1924	14.9
1923	15.2
1922	14.7
1921	11.4
1920	6.4
1919	6.2
1918	5.7
1917	6.3
1916	9.6
1915	12.5
1914	14.9
1913	17.7
1912	18.6
1911	20.3
1910	21.1
1909	23.0
1908	23.9
1907	23.3
1906	24.2
1905	23.7
1904	26.2
1903	27.8
1902	27.8
1901	28.8
1900	27.5
1899	29.3
1898	24.6
1897	21.8
1896	20.5
1895	20.2
1894	20.5
1893	23.8
1892	21.5
1891	25.5
1890	29.6

In the late 19th century, tariff rates climbed as high as 29.6% under the McKinley Tariff of 1890.

At the time, tariffs were used to protect U.S. industry and generate government revenue as income tax did not exist. As global trade liberalized after WWI, tariffs fell and the government introduced higher income taxes.

However, tariffs rose again in response to economic instability. In 1922, the Fordney-McCumber Act increased average tariffs to 15.2% to shield American manufacturers and farmers. During the Great Depression, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 pushed rates even higher—to 19.8%—in an effort to protect domestic jobs and industries.

In the following decades, tariffs declined amid multilateral trade agreements that aimed to remove trade barriers. Among the most notable are the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which virtually eliminated tariffs between America, Canada, and Mexico.

By 2024, the average U.S. tariff rate stood at 2.5%, marginally lower than the European Union, China, and several major economies worldwide.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic from a global perspective, check out this graphic on the average tariff rates of major countries.

The post Chart: The Average U.S. Tariff Rate (1890-2025) appeared first on Visual Capitalist.

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