Trump’s Tariffs Are Raking in Billions. Where Does It All Go? | WSJ

Tariff Revenue & Collection - The US collected over $159 billion in tariff revenue by early September, a 148% increase year-over-year, equating to $642 million per day [3][4] - Projections estimate the government will collect approximately $29 trillion in tariff revenue over the next 10 years, starting next year [5] - Importers typically have 10 to 30 days to pay tariffs after their goods arrive in the US [10] - Collected tariff money is sent to the US Treasury's General Fund, and Congress decides how to allocate it [11] Impact on Trade & Importers - Increased tariffs on Chinese goods to 145% in April led to a plunge in imports at the Port of Los Angeles [7] - Reducing tariffs to 30% in May resulted in a surge of cargo, with the port complex handling over 1 million containers in July [8] - Importers are responding to higher tariffs by negotiating with suppliers, asking them to share the increased tariff rate, and raising prices for consumers [10] Policy & Future Implications - A federal appeals court struck down Trump's tariffs, but the Supreme Court agreed to hear his appeal [15] - The motivation behind using tariffs as a revenue generator is to address the unsustainable debt path of the US [14] - The US government may use tariff revenue to pay down debt, issue rebate checks, or replace the federal income tax [12][13] - Domestic firms have organized around existing tariffs, making them difficult to remove, as they have made investments and increased prices [15]