Trump claims US earns $2 billion daily from tariffs – but is It true?

US President Donald Trump has imposed additional tariffs on imported goods worldwide, arguing that the United States has long been a victim of unfair trade practices.

On April 2, Trump announced new tariffs on products from various countries. Notably, he imposed tariffs of up to 125% on Chinese goods. In retaliation, China also declared counter-tariffs of up to 84%.

Amid this escalating tariff war, Trump claimed that the United States is now earning $2 billion per day from the newly imposed tariffs.
However, the BBC Verify team reports that there is no evidence to support Trump's claim. The team is currently investigating the statement in depth.

Is the US really earning $2 billion daily?

Following the tariff announcement, Trump stated: "We are making $2 billion a day." But according to BBC Verify, there is no publicly available data to support this claim.

The US Department of Treasury does publish daily updates on the amount of revenue generated from tariffs. However, a statement issued on April 7 indicated that the highest recent daily income from tariffs was $215 million — far lower than the $2 billion Trump claimed.

Last year, the United States imported goods worth around $9 billion daily. Analysts estimate that as of April 2, the average tariff rate imposed by Trump was 22%. Based on this rate and import volume, daily tariff revenue could reach approximately $2 billion — but only if import volumes remain unchanged, which may not hold true following the new tariff hikes.
Where did Trump's claim come from?

Trump's statement may be rooted in a comment made by his trade advisor, Peter Navarro, on April 6. Navarro stated that annual revenue from tariffs could now reach $700 billion — suggesting that daily earnings could be close to $2 billion.

However, it remains unclear how Navarro arrived at this figure. Experts say actual revenue from tariffs is likely much lower than his projection.

BBC Verify also sought clarification from the White House regarding Trump's claim but received no response.