The exclusion has raised eyebrows, especially as major trade partners like India (26%), the European Union (20%), and Vietnam (46%) have been slapped with hefty duties. So, why were these countries spared?

Other sanctioned nations—Belarus, Cuba, and North Korea—were also exempt from tariffs. Meanwhile, major U.S. partners Canada and Mexico, previously targeted by Trump’s tariffs, were spared. China, already facing a 20% tariff due to its alleged role in fentanyl trafficking, saw its rate jump to 54% under the new measures.

US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff announcements on Wednesday left Canada and Mexico breathing a sigh of relief Wednesday as they were excluded from a new wave of reciprocal tariffs, which were slapped on countries starting with a baseline 10 per cent charge on imports going up to 49 per cent.