U.S. customs revenue surged to an all-time high in April as President Donald Trump‘s latest round of tariffs took effect, delivering at least $15 billion in customs duties for the month — a more than 60% increase over previous periods
What Happened: On April 22 alone, the U.S. saw a record $11.7 billion in “customs and certain excise taxes,” as per The data from the Daily Treasury Statement.
According to Zerohedge, this reflects a broader monthly accrual rather than a single-day windfall.
DHS and the US Treasury did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Earlier in April, a Reuters report suggested that the net customs duties collected in March, as per the Treasury, totaled $8.2 billion—an increase of $2.1 billion compared to the same month last year and the highest level since September 2022.
The “Customs and Excise Taxes” listed in the Daily Treasury Statement represent federal revenue mainly collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This revenue comes from import tariffs on goods entering the U.S. and federal taxes on specific items such as fuel, alcohol, tobacco, and certain types of vehicles.
This record-breaking figure represents settled, confirmed payments and significantly contributes to the daily federal revenue picture.
Why It Matters: The record-breaking collection comes in the wake of President Donald Trump‘s tariff policies. Previously, the CBP had reported tariff revenue of just over $500 million following the implementation of President Trump’s latest trade measures, a figure far below the $2 billion per day estimate often cited by Trump.
The U.S. started imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese imports on February 4, which was increased to 20% by March 4. That same day, Trump’s 25% tariffs on fentanyl-related products from Canada and Mexico—targeting goods that don’t meet the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement’s rules of origin—also came into force. Currently, the tariffs on China stand at 145%, which Trump is considering to reduce “substantially.” Trump has placed a 90-day pause on the tariffs announced on April 2, Liberation Day.
Trump’s renewed focus on tariffs comes as the U.S. national debt approaches $37 trillion, a level widely regarded as unsustainable by policymakers, market analysts, and institutions, including the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Federal Reserve
In the next two days after the sweeping tariff announcement, the U.S. stock markets lost over $6 trillion in value, noted the Wall Street Journal.
Interestingly, companies have been increasingly resorting to special U.S. Customs-approved sites known as foreign trade zones (FTZs) and bonded warehouses to temporarily evade the payment of new tariffs, as per a CNBC report. These locations are specially designated, secured storage or manufacturing sites approved by U.S. Customs where freight is not subject to U.S. duties or excise taxes. Duties are only paid by the importer when the goods are transferred out of the FTZ or bonded warehouse for U.S. market consumption.
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
