President Trump’s recent moves have ushered in a radically different era for U.S. trade policy, marked by a series of headline-grabbing deals and sweeping tariff adjustments. While these actions are framed as safeguarding American industries and correcting trade imbalances, the landscape remains fraught with uncertainty, primarily because so many details remain opaque.

Throughout 2025, the administration has struck new trade agreements with countries across the Indo-Pacific, including Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Vietnam. Alongside these deals, higher and more targeted tariffs have been imposed on imports from nations running large trade deficits with the U.S., with baseline tariffs on all countries raised by 10%. This overhaul aims to strengthen the competitive position of American workers, manufacturers, and farmers, while using tariffs as leverage in trade negotiations and as a means to counter perceived national security threats.

However, the complexity and rapid evolution of these policies have left analysts and industry leaders alike searching for hard facts. Many agreements have been announced without specifics on which sectors will benefit, what reciprocal concessions have been secured, or how enforcement mechanisms will work. Even high-profile pacts with China have been labeled by some as little more than frameworks, and questions remain about the duration and scope of recent tariff pauses or reductions.

Businesses trying to make strategic decisions are faced with a lack of clarity on which countries will be subject to which tariffs, how long grandfathered exemptions might last, or whether further negotiations could upend terms already announced. The result is a trade environment filled with both sweeping change and persistent ambiguity—a reality that complicates planning for exporters, importers, and investors alike. Until the administration releases comprehensive details, much of the new trade world remains guesswork rather than policy certainty.