The White House announced that since January the US has collected over $235 billion in revenue from tariffs introduced as part of President Donald Trump's trade policy, BTA reported.
The data was presented in a Christmas live broadcast on the White House channel on “YouTube“ (YouTube), in which the administration also highlighted its other achievements, including in the field of migration policy and the fight against the spread of fentanyl, DPA reported.
In the broadcast, President Trump is presented as a cartoon character sitting next to a Christmas tree, with text blocks with various statistics appearing on the screen. According to the January 2025 announcement, the US Treasury Department collected more than $235 billion in customs duties.
The amount is slightly higher than previously announced by US authorities. Last week, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency reported customs revenue of more than $200 billion for the period from the president’s inauguration on January 20 to December 15. However, the result remains below initial expectations. In July, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant predicted that customs revenue could reach $300 billion by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court is reviewing the legality of the administration’s customs policy. The case concerns whether the government was entitled to invoke the Emergency Act to impose a wide range of tariffs on dozens of trading partners, including the European Union. In the event of an unfavorable decision, the government may be required to return the collected revenues.
There are also uncertainties surrounding the Christmas checks promised by the president for military personnel. Last week, Trump said that each of the approximately 1.5 million military personnel will receive $1,776, with the funds being provided by customs revenues. According to publications by the “Washington Post“ and other American media, however, the funding for the so-called “dividends for soldiers“ actually comes from a budget approved by Congress to cover housing costs for military personnel. Under current law, the president does not have the authority to spend customs revenues without Congressional approval.