The United States (US) has reportedly managed to collect almost $50 billion (RM234 billion) in additional customs tax revenue as a result of President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff policy despite counter-offensives from several foreign countries.
According to a Financial Times report citing US Treasury Department data, the country's customs revenue collection for the second quarter of 2025 reached $64 billion, an increase of $47 billion compared to the same period last year.
This makes customs duties one of the most active sources of revenue for the Trump administration at the moment.
Surprisingly, the surge in revenue occurred despite retaliatory tariffs from countries such as China and Canada, but on a much smaller scale than Washington's tariff actions.
Meanwhile, several major trading partners including the European Union (EU), Mexico and Japan chose not to respond, believed to be unwilling to further complicate already tense relations in addition to concerns about security guarantees provided by the US, especially regarding military support.
According to Prof. Marta Bengoa from the City University of New York, the global trading system that is now more US-centric makes retaliation economically unprofitable.
From the perspective of multinational companies, they prefer to take steps to absorb part of the cost of tariffs and spread the burden to foreign markets, as an effort to curb the sudden increase in the price of goods in the domestic market.
The economy is booming, national income is multiplying, but the people?
For the sake of the 'America First' policy, Americans are now forced to bear the direct impact of price spikes, while huge revenues continue to flow into the government's pockets.
