US customs duties collection hit record $16.5 billion in April as Donald Trump's tariff regime comes into effect

US customs duties collections hit a record $16.5 billion as importers made monthly payments to the government for goods received in April 2025, according to Treasury Department data released Friday. The surge in revenue indicates the impact of President Donald Trump’s latest tariff policy for the first time.

Nearly two-thirds of importers pay customs duties with a single monthly payment following the arrival of goods at US ports. The deadline for payments for the month of April was Wednesday.

With the continuation of current tariff policies, Trump will not reach the target of $2 billion a day in tariff revenue, which he claims will assist in funding the significant tax reductions included in a bill approved by the House of Representatives this week, reported Bloomberg News.

The data revealed by the Treasury did not give a breakdown of tariff revenue by category, which also included excise taxes collected by the Department of Homeland Security.

Donald Trump's tariff policy

On Friday, Trump threatened a new round of tariffs, including 50% on goods imported from the European Union and 25% on smartphone makers such as Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co, if they do not move manufacturing to the US.

Previously, he proposed reciprocal tariffs on most trading partners but announced a 90-day pause on duties amid a selloff in US Treasuries. The Trump administration also temporarily paused 145% tariffs on Chinese goods. The current tariffs include a 10% base duty on most imports, a 25% duty on steel and aluminium, and a 25% duty on autos.

After accounting for the monthly collections for April, the Treasury will bring in at least $22.3 billion in customs duties and other excise taxes this month, the data show. Measured in dollar terms rather than as a share of GDP, that would be a monthly record, as per data cited by Bloomberg.