What to Know About the Countries Facing the Highest Trump ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs

President Donald Trump called the punishing tariffs he announced on Wednesday “reciprocal,” claiming that the new levies on imports from pretty much every nation—including some that are longtime allies and others that are literally uninhabited—are in response to foreign tariffs levied against imports from the U.S. “and other forms of cheating.”

But in reality, several social media users realized, the numbers the White House released on a chart under the label “Tariffs Charged to the U.S.A. Including Currency Manipulation and Trade Barriers” could be calculated much more simply: by dividing the U.S. trade deficit with a country by the U.S. imports from that country. Trump’s “Discounted Reciprocal Tariffs” are that result, halved—or at least 10%, whichever is higher.

Economists have warned that the burden of these new taxes will be passed to American consumers, and foreign nations have been quick to react, some promising countermeasures that could negate any competitive benefit for American manufacturing and exports.

Here’s what to know about the countries and territories facing the biggest “reciprocal” tariffs from the U.S.

Lesotho – 50%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $237.3 million worth of goods from Lesotho last year, while Lesotho imported $2.8 million worth from the U.S., according to 2024 figures from the office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

What to know: Lesotho is mainly an export-driven economy, according to the International Trade Administration (ITA), with garments, diamonds, water, electricity, wool, and mohair as its major exports.

Saint Pierre and Miquelon – 50%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $3.4 million worth of goods from Saint Pierre and Miquelon last year, while Saint Pierre and Miquelon imported $100,000 worth from the U.S., according to 2024 figures from U.S. Census Bureau.

What to know: The French overseas territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which has a population of about 5,000, is a high-income economy which relies on fishing exports, according to the CIA Factbook.

Cambodia – 49%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $12.7 billion worth of goods from Cambodia last year, while Cambodia imported $321.6 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The U.S. is Cambodia’s largest single-country export destination, with approximately 40% of Cambodia’s total exports going to the U.S., mainly apparel, footwear, and travel goods, according to the ITA.

Laos – 48%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $803.3 million worth of goods from Laos last year, while Laos imported $40.4 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The top U.S. imports from Laos are in the electronics industry, including telecommunications equipment, cellphones and other household goods, and television and video equipment.

Madagascar – 47%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $733.2 million worth of goods from Madagascar last year, while Madagascar imported $53.4 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The United States is Madagascar’s second biggest export market. Its key exports to the U.S. include apparel, vanilla, titanium, cobalt, and nickel—altogether accounting for around 15% of the country’s total exports, according to the U.S. Embassy in Madagascar.

Vietnam – 46%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $136.6 billion worth of goods from Vietnam last year, while Vietnam imported $13.1 billion worth from the U.S.

What to know: Vietnam is a significant exporter of high-tech goods and textiles to the U.S., and has benefited from the U.S.-China trade war after many companies began investing in the Southeast Asian country for its cheap manufacturing abilities. Vietnam tried to shield itself from Trump’s “reciprocal” tariffs by announcing a cut on duties on U.S. imports of fossil fuel and automobile products. A White House fact sheet criticized the country, alongside Brazil, Ecuador, and Argentina, because they “restrict or prohibit the importation of remanufactured goods,” which the White House claimed restricts market access for U.S. exporters.

Sri Lanka – 44%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $3 billion worth of goods from Sri Lanka last year, while Sri Lanka imported $368.2 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The South Asian country, for which top exports to the U.S. include apparel, is still recovering from a severe financial crisis. The U.S. has provided Sri Lanka $2 billion in assistance since 1948.

Myanmar – 44%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $656.5 million worth of goods from Myanmar, while Myanmar imported $77 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The U.S. has sanctioned Myanmar following a military coup in February 2021, including restrictions on exporting jet fuel and specific aircraft supplies to the country’s military and the suspension of a 2013 trade and investment agreement. Trade between the two countries has declined since, and much of trade has been carried out through border crossings, both legal and illegal, according to the ITA.

Syria – 41%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $10.7 million worth of goods from Syria last year, while Syria imported $2 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: Since 2004, Syria has been subject to economic sanctions from the U.S. that broadly restrict transactional dealings involving Syria’s government.

Falkland Islands – 41%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $22.8 million worth of goods from the Falkland Islands last year, while the Falkland Islands imported $4.1 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The Falkland Islands is a British overseas territory in the Atlantic with a population around 3,600. Its economy relies on sheep farming. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, its main exports are food products, particularly shellfish and fish.

Mauritius – 40%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $234.5 million worth of goods from Mauritius last year, while Mauritius imported $48 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The U.S. exports agricultural and industrial machinery and optical/medical instruments to Mauritius, while among the top U.S. imports from Mauritius are textiles and garments, precious stones and jewelry, processed fish, and primates, according to the ITA.

Iraq – 39%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $7.4 million worth of goods from Iraq last year, while Iraq imported $1.7 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: Iraq’s main export to the U.S. is crude oil, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Guyana – 38%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $5.375 billion worth of goods from Guyana last year, while Guyana imported $1.32 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: The South American country’s main export to the U.S. in 2023 was crude petroleum, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.

Bangladesh – 37%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $8.4 billion worth of goods from Bangladesh last year, while Bangladesh imported $2.2 billion worth from the U.S.

What to know: Bangladesh specializes in ready-made garment exports and has identified the U.S. as one of its major foreign markets.

Botswana – 37%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $405.1 million worth of goods from Botswana last year, while Botswana imported $104.3 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: Botswana, an African nation with high rates of poverty and unemployment, has a trade balance that hinges largely on its diamond exports. 

Liechtenstein – 37%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $243.7 million worth of goods from Liechtenstein last year, while Liechtenstein imported $66 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: According to the Embassy of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Washington, D.C., the European country is export-oriented. The Embassy says that “Liechtenstein companies play key roles in the supply chain of goods in specific U.S. sectors such as construction, automotive, dentistry, agriculture, audio-visual and coating.”

Réunion – 37%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $44.1 million worth of goods from Réunion last year, while Réunion imported $11.9 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: Food products make up the primary exports of the French overseas territory that has a population of around 890,000.

Serbia – 37%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $814.4 million worth of goods from Serbia last year, while Serbia imported $209.9 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: FIAT automobiles are a major U.S. import from Serbia, according to the ITA. Serbia also mainly exports rubber tires, frozen fruits and nuts, hunting rifles, and ammunition to the U.S. American exports to Serbia primarily include aviation parts and machines, as well as pharmaceutical and medical supplies.

Thailand – 36%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $63.3 billion worth of goods from Thailand last year, while Thailand imported $17.7 billion worth from the U.S.

What to know: Thailand, an export-dependent economy, has had a robust trade alliance with the U.S., and the Southeast Asian country is currently the 18th largest goods trading partner for the U.S. Its main export to the U.S. is machine parts. The Southeast Asian country tried to avoid Trump tariffs by narrowing the trade deficit through imports of American corn and soybeans as well as petroleum products.

Bosnia and Herzegovina – 35%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $179.1 million worth of goods from Bosnia and Herzegovina last year, while Bosnia and Herzegovina imported $53 million worth from the U.S.

What to know: According to the ITA, the southeastern European country’s primary exports to the U.S. are leather products, apparel manufacturing products, and furniture, while the U.S. mainly exports agricultural products, machinery and transport equipment, chemicals and mineral fuels to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

China – 34%

Balance of trade: The U.S. imported $438.9 billion worth of goods from China last year—more than any other country outside North America—while China imported $143.5 billion worth from the U.S.

What to know: China is the world’s second-largest economy and leading exporter of goods. The country has been engaged in a trade war with the U.S. since Trump’s first term. The latest “Liberation Day” tariffs bring the total U.S. blanket tariffs on Chinese goods to 54%, while some specific industries face even higher tariffs. Economists expect the average tariff on Chinese imports to go as high as 65%, Bloomberg reported, while others estimate it could even hit 76%.