RulesUpdated 9 Sept 2026Approx. reading time 5 min

Trump tariffs: what Swedish businesses need to know

By Richard Coster

Tullify founders Johan Månsson and Richard Coster among stacked shipping containers at the port

Quick answer

Trump’s broad 2025 “Liberation Day” tariffs no longer apply. On 20 February 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorise the president to impose tariffs, and the IEEPA-based additional tariffs were ended. For Swedish goods, you instead need to check ordinary US customs duty, the new Section 301 duty on EU goods and any product-specific Section 232 tariffs.

There is no single “Trump tariff” applying to all Swedish goods. US customs costs depend on the goods’ HTSUS code, origin, customs value and any specific trade measure. Here we explain what changed in 2026 and what Swedish businesses should check before their next US shipment.

What happened to Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs?

On 2 April 2025, President Donald Trump imposed broad additional tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, IEEPA. Commonly called the “Liberation Day” tariffs, they combined a general tariff with higher country-specific rates. The legal basis was subsequently challenged in US courts.

On 20 February 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA does not give the president authority to impose tariffs. The same day, the White House ordered the additional IEEPA-based ad valorem duties to end. The ruling did not remove tariffs based on other laws, such as Section 232 or Section 301.

Date	Decision	What it means
2 April 2025	IEEPA-based “reciprocal” tariffs introduced	A general additional tariff and higher country rates begin to apply.
20 February 2026	US Supreme Court rejects IEEPA as authority for tariffs	IEEPA-based additional tariffs end. Other legal bases are unaffected.
24 February–24 July 2026	Temporary import surcharge under Section 122	The USA charges 10% on many goods for a limited period.
From 24 July 2026	New Section 301 measure covering EU goods and others	For affected EU goods, ordinary MFN duty plus Section 301 duty normally totals at least 10%, with several exceptions.

Overview checked on 9 September 2026. Always check the current HTSUS entry before import.

Which US tariffs apply to Swedish goods now?

Start with the product rather than a percentage. Goods with the same value can attract very different duty depending on classification and origin, and several rules may affect one consignment. These are the main layers to check.

Ordinary HTSUS duty: The base duty follows the US customs classification and country of origin.
Section 301 for EU goods: For affected goods, the additional duty normally tops up ordinary MFN duty to a total of 10%. If MFN duty is already at least 10%, the Section 301 addition is zero. Exclusion lists apply.
Section 232: Product-specific national-security tariffs, including on metal products, certain machinery, vehicles, wood products and semiconductors.
Other measures: Anti-dumping and countervailing duties, quotas, safeguards and country-specific sanctions may also apply.

Section 301 for goods originating in the EU

From 24 July 2026, a Section 301 measure applies in connection with how several economies handle imports of goods produced with forced labour. For EU-origin goods, the model sets a 10% tariff floor: if ordinary US MFN duty is below 10%, Section 301 tops it up to 10%. If MFN duty is 10% or more, there is no additional Section 301 duty under that model.

Ten per cent is not a reliable default for every Swedish export. The Federal Register decision includes both general and EU-specific product exclusions, and goods subject to other tariff measures may be treated differently.

Section 232 for metals, machinery and other sectors

Section 232 tariffs did not disappear with the IEEPA ruling. Since April 2026, steel, aluminium, copper and many derivative products have been subject to their own rates. The highest main rate is 50% for several metal products, while other derivatives may attract 25% or 15%. The exact HTSUS code, product category, origin and sometimes metal origin or content determine the rate.

Separate Section 232 rules also apply to vehicles, wood products and certain semiconductors. Swedish exporters of machinery, components or products containing metal should therefore check the complete US classification before calculating duty.

How Swedish businesses exporting to the USA are affected

Normally, the US importer of record declares the goods and pays duty to CBP. The economic cost may still fall on the Swedish seller through price pressure, renegotiated contracts or delivery terms under which the seller bears import costs.

Price: Specify whether your quote includes US duty.
Delivery terms: Check who is the importer and who bears tariff risk under the contract and chosen Incoterm.
Origin: Shipment from Sweden does not automatically mean EU origin.
Commodity code: US imports are declared under HTSUS, not simply the Swedish export code.
Customs value: Check the invoice, any assists, royalties and other value components.
Change clause: Agree how new or amended tariffs will be allocated between the parties.

Five checks before the next shipment

Establish the HTSUS codeUse the product’s materials, function, construction and intended use. A wrong code can produce incorrect duty and regulatory requirements.
Establish customs originCheck where the goods were manufactured or last substantially transformed. Country of dispatch and country of origin are different concepts.
Read the ordinary tariff and Chapter 99Check both the normal HTSUS entry and any temporary or special Chapter 99 codes implementing Section 301, Section 232 and exclusions.
Check whether tariffs can be combinedSome tariffs are added together; others replace duties or exempt the same goods. Read the current measure’s stacking rules.
Agree responsibilities and priceDocument who is the importer, who pays duty and what happens if the rate changes between order and import.

Calculation example for Swedish EU-origin goods

Suppose EU-origin goods have a customs value of SEK 100,000 and ordinary US MFN duty of 4%. If the goods fall under the EU Section 301 model without an exclusion, the additional Section 301 duty is 6%, bringing the total to 10%. Duty is therefore SEK 10,000.

If the same goods are instead covered by a Section 232 measure, the result may be entirely different. Do not use this example for a quote until classification, origin and any exclusions are verified.

Frequently asked questions about Trump’s tariffs

Do the Liberation Day tariffs still apply?

No. The broad IEEPA-based additional tariffs ended after the US Supreme Court’s ruling on 20 February 2026. Tariffs under other legal powers may still apply.

Is the tariff always 10% for Swedish goods?

No. Ten per cent is a floor for affected EU goods under the July 2026 Section 301 measure. Product exclusions and other measures mean the actual rate can be lower or much higher.

Who pays US customs duty?

The US importer of record normally pays CBP. The contract and delivery terms determine who ultimately bears the cost between buyer and seller.

Is my Swedish CN code enough?

No. The first six HS digits are internationally harmonised, but the USA uses HTSUS with further national digits and rules. Check the import classification in the US HTSUS.

Can several additional US tariffs apply together?

Yes, but not always. Stacking and exclusion rules differ between measures. Check both the ordinary HTSUS entry and relevant Chapter 99 codes.

Read on

What your customer in the USA pays is covered on our page about exporting to the USA.

Importing from the USA instead? Read about importing from the USA.

More guides are collected in our customs guides.

Sources

The information on this page was checked against the following sources on 9 September 2026. Rules can change and the page may become outdated. Please let us know if you spot anything incorrect.

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