Russia and North Korea Not on Tariff List – White House Explains Why

The White House recently unveiled new tariffs under the “Liberation Day” initiative, notably excluding countries like Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus from these measures. Officials defended this choice, stating these nations already face high tariffs and sanctions that hinder notable trade.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that existing American sanctions against Russia make additional tariffs unnecessary, while the other excluded countries are already under substantial trade restrictions.

Former President Donald Trump originally implemented these tariffs to respond to trade deficits and protect American manufacturing, which he claims has been undermined by unfavorable trade practices. The new tariffs will introduce a baseline 10% tariff on all countries, effective April 5, 2025, with additional, individualized rates imposed on nations with the largest trade deficits entering into effect on April 9. The administration maintains that these tariffs are necessary to combat trade imbalances and are a key component of their economic strategy, which aims to strengthen the domestic manufacturing sector.


The White House did not include adversarial nations like Russia, North Korea, Cuba, and Belarus in the new “Liberation Day” tariffs, a decision which Trump administration officials defended.

An unnamed White House official told The Hill on Thursday that those nations “are not subject to the Reciprocal Tariff Executive Order because they are already facing extremely high tariffs, and our previously imposed sanctions preclude any meaningful trade with these countries.”

The official continued by noting that Trump “recently threatened to impose strong sanctions on Russia.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt likewise told Axios on Wednesday that Russia was omitted because American sanctions already “preclude any meaningful trade.”

She added that Cuba, Belarus, and North Korea were not included because they already experience high tariffs and sanctions.

Trump hiked tariffs on dozens of countries after revealing that he would seek to reciprocate the tariffs other nations already impose on American goods.

He has long voiced concern that the past several decades of trade policy have resulted in the erosion of the American manufacturing base.

Trump also relied on tariffs during his first term to encourage domestic manufacturing and apply targeted pressure on certain countries.

A fact sheet from the White House published on Wednesday said that “foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency.”

“Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base,” the fact sheet said.

The document also said trade deficits “resulted in a lack of incentive to increase advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries.”

Trump issued the new tariffs using his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

All countries were subjected to a baseline 10 percent tariff, which will formally take effect on April 5.

He also imposed “an individualized reciprocal higher tariff on the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits.”

Those individualized tariffs will enter into effect on April 9.

“These tariffs will remain in effect until such a time as President Trump determines that the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved, or mitigated,” the fact sheet added.

“He is the first President in modern history to stand strong for hardworking Americans by asking other countries to follow the golden rule on trade: Treat us like we treat you,” the document said.




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