President Trump signs executive order for new tariff plan
President Donald Trump signed an executive order for a new tariff plan on April 2, 2025. President Trump announced baseline tariffs of 10% on all imports into the United States. Reciprocal tariffs were placed on countries with which the U.S. has significant trade deficits.
The baseline tariff on all imports will be implemented starting April 5, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. ET. The reciprocal tariffs on specific countries will be implemented on April 9, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. ET.
What do the tariffs mean for the water industry?
The tariffs can potentially impact the water industry from all angles, including infrastructure costs, supply chain disruptions, workforce and increased costs for equipment and materials.
Equipment and materials
Utilities receive equipment, materials and chemicals from all over the world. This includes things like:
- Pipes
- Pumps
- Valves
- Membranes
- Chemical treatments
The tariffs may make importing these items more expensive for utilities.
President Trump's executive order included tariff exemptions for some products, including a variety of chemicals, some steel and aluminum products and automotive parts. The chemicals listed in the exemption are not directly used by the water industry, however some of them may be manufactured with, or from, some of the listed chemicals.
The article referenced in this story originally ran as Navigating the implications of President Trump's tariff plan for the water industry on Waterworld, an Endeavor Business Media partner site.