Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, one year on

Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, one year on

From Asia Specific by BBC World Service

April 10, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of US tariffs on trade in Asia one year after their implementation.

How have US tariffs changed the way countries in Asia trade and what has been the impact on the region? US President Donald Trump announced a slew of tariffs in April last year on more than 90 countries. For a while, it threatened to damage global trade and grind business investments to a halt. Then, earlier this year, the US Supreme Court struck down most of the tariffs the White House announced in 2025, arguing that the president had overstepped his powers. Mr Trump then imposed a new 10 per cent global tariff to replace them. So where exactly are we at now with tariffs? On this episode of Asia Specific, Mariko speaks to two guests who have been closely monitoring this. Deborah Elms is the head of trade policy at Hinrich Foundation in Singapore, tracking trade relations between Asia and the United States. Nick Marsh is the BBC’s business reporter, and he’s spoken to companies in the region to find out exactly how the tariffs have changed the way they trade. Asia Pacific, unpacked by those who know it best. Bringing you essential insights and conversations on the stories shaping the region - an economic powerhouse, geo-political flashpoint and the birthplace of global cultural…

People in this episode

Host: Mariko

Guests: Deborah Elms, Nick Marsh

Topics covered

  • US tariffs
  • trade relations
  • Asia-Pacific economy
  • global trade impact
  • business investments
  • political analysis

Keywords

  • tariffs
  • trade
  • Asia
  • US-China relations
  • global economy
  • business
  • politics

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Hinrich Foundation, BBC

Places: United States, Asia

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