The U.S Tariff Measures 2025 and the Consistency Under the WTO Legal Frameworks: The Future of Multilateral Trade?

Abstract

On 2 April 2025, the United States implemented an additional tariff measure on all products exported to its market, sparking significant contention among World Trade Organization (WTO) members. Introduced through a State Declaration of National Emergency and Executive Order 14257, the measure established a Reciprocal Tariff system, purportedly aimed at rebalancing the United States’ position within the multilateral trading system under the justification of national security. Nevertheless, serious concerns have arisen regarding the measure’s consistency with established international trade obligations. This article employs a normative juridical research method to examine its conformity with WTO law, with particular reference to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994. The analysis finds that the Reciprocal Tariff Measure breaches several GATT provisions covering the most favored nations principle, bound tariff commitment, and potentially the enabling clause under GATT. Further, the reliance on the national security exception under Article XXI does not meet the requisite legal thresholds. If upheld, such measures may undermine the integrity of the multilateral trading system and disrupt global trade governance.