Trump's global tariff to take effect at 10%, despite announcement of 15%

The back-and-forth underscores the uncertainty of Trump's tariffs that is once again causing confusion with markets, trading partners, and businesses large and small. Trump tariffsTrump's global tariff to take effect at 10%, despite announcement of 15%The back-and-forth underscores the uncertainty of Trump's tariffs, which is once again causing confusion with markets, trading partners and businesses large and small.President Donald Trump is revamping his tariff policies after a major setback at the Supreme Court last week.Aaron Schwartz / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleFeb. 23, 2026, 10:45 PM ESTBy Steve Kopack and Garrett HaakeListen to this article with a free account00:0000:00President Donald Trump's reworked global tariffs will begin Tuesday at a rate of 10%, even though he said over the weekend that they would start at 15%.On Friday, after the Supreme Court struck down most of Trump's tariff agenda, he announced that he would quickly implement a 10% flat tariff for all trading partners using a different trade law.One day later, Trump posted on Truth Social that "effective immediately" he would be "raising the 10% Worldwide Tariff ... to the fully allowed, and legally tested, 15% level."Under the trade law the administration is now turning to, called Section 122, tariffs of up to 15% can be quickly applied, but only for up to 150 days.Add NBC News to GoogleFedEx sues Trump administration to demand tariff refunds after Supreme Court ruling01:50Hours before the sweeping tariff was set to take effect, U.S. Customs and Border Protection sent a memo informing importers that the rate would be 10% at first and that it would apply to "every country for a period of 150 days, unless specifically exempt," starting at 12:01 a.m. ET Tuesday.A White House official confirmed to NBC News that the message to importers was correct.The global tariff will start at 10%, the official said, but the administration is working on raising it to 15% in a separate order that Trump will need to sign. The official did not have a timeline for when that would occur.The back-and-forth underscores what companies, investors and foreign governments have warned is a return to trade "chaos" from early in Trump's second term."Pure tariff chaos from the U.S. administration," Bernd Lange, a top European Union lawmaker from Germany, wrote Sunday on X. "No one can make sense of it anymore — only open questions and growing uncertainty."As a result of the renewed uncertainty, the E.U. earlier Monday froze implementation of a massive trade deal with Trump last summer.Other trading partners, such as India, China, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, are also considering what to do. Most of the trade framework deals the Trump administration and foreign trading partners reached since early last year have been under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the 1977 law the Supreme Court said Trump improperly used when he imposed sweeping tariffs last year.ShareAdd NBC News to GoogleSteve KopackSteve Kopack is a senior reporter at NBC News covering business and the economy.Garrett HaakeGarrett Haake is NBC News' senior White House correspondent.