Trump's tariffs hit MENA region: who’s paying the highest price?

Following a brief pause in the rollout of President Donald Trump's so-called "Liberation Day" tariffs, the United States on Thursday unveiled a sweeping new set of trade duties targeting much of the world, including close allies and rivals.

The tariffs, which economists fear could upend the global trading system, are due to come into effect on 7 August. They apply to nearly all countries the US trades with, including key partners in the Middle East and North Africa.

But which Middle Eastern countries have been slapped with tariffs, and how high do they go? Here's a breakdown of all the Middle East states that have been slapped with tariffs.

The Middle East

Among the countries hit with the steepest tariffs on Thursday was Syria, which faces a rate of 41 percent, the same as the one announced in the original 2 April list. The US Chamber of Commerce does not list trade figures between Syria and the United States.

Iraq followed with a 35 percent tariff, down from 39 percent in the April announcement. Curiously, Trump had written to Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani on 9 July, threatening a lower rate of 30 percent. Total trade between the US and Iraq stood at $9.1 billion in 2024, with $7.4 billion in US imports from Iraq.

Jordan was slapped with a 15 percent tariff, down from 20 percent in April. Trade between the US and Jordan totalled $5.4 billion in 2024, of which $3.4 billion were US imports from Jordan.

North Africa

Algeria was hit with a 30 percent tariff, unchanged from the initial April rate. On 9 July, the Trump administration sent a letter to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune warning that Algeria would face a 30 percent tariff, which has now been formalised. Algeria's total trade with the US in 2024 amounted to $3.5 billion, entirely in exports to the US.

Libya was also given a 30 percent tariff, slightly lower than the 31 percent rate announced on 2 April. Like Algeria, Libya received a letter from Trump threatening the same rate earlier this month. Libya's trade with the US stood at $2 billion, with $1.5 billion in oil exports making up the bulk of that figure.

Tunisia fared marginally better than its North African neighbours, receiving a tariff rate of 25 percent, down from 28 percent announced in April. The final rate matches what Trump threatened in a letter sent to President Kais Saied on 7 July.

Stragglers

Other countries in the region were also hit by the new tariffs, including close US ally Turkey, which received a rate of 15 percent. This represents an increase from the 10 percent listed in April.

Israel was also included, with a 15 percent tariff, down slightly from the 17 percent announced earlier this year.

While these countries were specifically named with individual rates, Trump has made clear that a base tariff of 10 percent will apply to all imports into the US, meaning that even countries not singled out will be subject to the blanket trade measure.