US Treasury: 15 Per Cent Global Tariff Likely to Take Effect This Week

NEW YORK, KOMPAS.com – The United States government plans to implement a 15 per cent global tariff in the near term. The policy is said to be likely to take effect this week.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the new tariff would replace the current 10 per cent global tariff.

‘Most likely this week,’ Bessent said when asked when the 15 per cent increase would be implemented, according to CNBC, Wednesday (4 March 2026).

‘I am highly confident that the tariff will return to the original level within five months,’ Bessent said.

Last year, US President Donald Trump imposed a range of import tariffs on many countries around the world.

The policy was implemented without congressional authorisation using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).

That ruling nullified a number of tariffs that had previously been imposed unilaterally on various countries.

A few hours after that Supreme Court ruling, Trump said he had signed an executive order to impose a new 10 per cent global tariff on a different legal basis.

The following day, Trump said the tariff would be raised to 15 per cent and would take effect ‘immediately’.

In the same interview, Bessent explained that the replacement tariff or the 15 per cent tariff is applied under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.

He said the provision allows a temporary tariff for 150 days, unless Congress approves an extension.

During that period, the Office of the United States Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce will complete studies related to trade that form the basis for a further tariff policy.

He also stressed that the previous tariff policy had faced thousands of lawsuits.

‘The tariff has faced more than 4,000 legal challenges,’ Bessent said.

‘The tariff is indeed slower, but stronger,’ he added.