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Featured · Data story · 7 min read

Tariffs went up. Did America come out ahead?

Seven charts follow implemented tariffs, car imports, reciprocal duties and the cash the U.S. government actually kept.

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20 September 2026 · Public Spending Data

THE TRADE WAR, EXPLAINEDHigher tariffs.
More revenue?
A better outcome?

Rates ≠ trade ≠ welfare

Seven charts. One honest question.

Latest stories

Long reads and small discoveries.

Data story7 min read

Tariffs went up. Did America come out ahead?

Seven charts follow implemented tariffs, car imports, reciprocal duties and the cash the U.S. government actually kept.

Higher barriers. Uneven trade. No proven overall winner.

Trade & tariffs
Mini story2 min read

The customs headline is not the cash kept.

Gross customs collections rose sharply. Refunds explain why net fiscal-year-to-date revenue tells a different story.

$167.3bn net, after $125.2bn in refunds.

Public revenue
Mini story2 min read

“Reciprocal” does not mean equal.

Look at the same car category in both directions: Canada, China, Europe and Mexico show very different tariff gaps.

Same product. Different border. Different rate.

Trade & tariffs