Trump Imposes South Asia’s Lowest Import Tariff of 19% on Pakistan

The United States has imposed a 19 percent import tariff on goods from Pakistan under a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The decision is part of the US’s new trade policy targeting imports from dozens of countries to protect domestic industries. Alongside Pakistan, the US has imposed tariffs of 35 percent on Canada, 20 percent on Vietnam, 25 percent on India, and 15 percent on Turkey. Other countries affected include Bangladesh (20%), Cambodia (19%), Sri Lanka (20%), and Thailand (20%). The White House announced additional tariffs of 15 percent on Israel and Venezuela, 39 percent on Switzerland, 35 percent on Iraq, 15 percent on Japan, 40 percent on Laos and Myanmar, and 30 percent on Libya. No immediate response has been issued by Pakistan or many of the other affected countries. Despite the tariff, Pakistan’s rate remains slightly below that of several regional competitors, a development some observers view as politically favorable and an opportunity to attract foreign investment under current US trade dynamics. Here’s how Pakistan compares to some of the countries under the new reciprocal tariff regime: