US Congressional Research Briefing on US-China tariffs

2 March 2026

The US Congressional Research Service has published a briefing outlining US and Chinese tariffs since 2018. As of 20 February 2026, average US and China tariff rates on each other’s goods were approximately 34% and 31%, respectively, excluding exemptions and Section 232 actions, which allow US companies to bypass tariffs on certain goods imposed by the Trade Expansion Act. Both governments continue to apply cumulative measures across multiple authorities.

Section 301 tariffs

Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 authorises the United States to impose tariffs on countries that engage in acts, policies, or practices that are inconsistent with trade agreements or are “unreasonable or discriminatory”.

• The United States imposed tariffs of 7.5% to 25% on $370 billion of imports from China in 2018 after finding forced technology transfer and theft of US intellectual property, and China responded with tariffs on $110 billion of US goods.

• The United States increased some section 301 tariff rates by an additional 25% to 100% in 2024 and 2025, particularly on electric vehicles, batteries, medical goods, semiconductors, solar cells, steel, and aluminium.

• In 2025, both governments paused proposed reciprocal port‑equipment tariffs for one year following US findings on Chinese shipping practices.

• In December 2025, the United States determined that China’s mature‑node chip and silicon‑carbide policies were actionable and proposed an initial 0% tariff rate through June 2027.

Section 232 tariffs

Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorises the United States to impose tariffs on imports that threaten to impair national security following an investigation by the Department of Commerce.

• Since 2018, the United States has applied tariffs on steel, aluminium, vehicles, copper, heavy trucks, semiconductors, and derivative products, and China has responded with tariffs on metals, agricultural goods, and selected industrial inputs.

• Multiple investigations initiated in 2025-2026 on pharmaceuticals, aircraft, drones, polysilicon, wind turbines, medical goods, and robotics remain ongoing.

IEEPA

• Tariffs imposed under IEEPA in 2025 on immigration, fentanyl, trade‑deficit, and Venezuela‑oil grounds were lifted after the Supreme Court’s February 2026 ruling, and a temporary 10% global tariff was imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

Tariffs under s301 and s232 remain unaffected by the Supreme Court’s ruling in Learning Resources, which considered only the legality of tariffs under IEEPA.