
Ease of doing business
theboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard:
Powering Mutually Beneficial Global Trade.
Understand the complexities of international tariffs and ease of doing business across nations to cultivate balanced trade relationships, streamline operations, and deliver cost savings to end consumers.

Implications
As of January 18, 2026, the trade relationship between the United States and Australia is navigating a period of increased costs and strategic "re-alignment." While Australia maintains its Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA), it is no longer exempt from the broad baseline tariffs introduced under the current administration's "Reciprocal Tariff" and national security frameworks.
🇦🇺 US-Australia Tariff Profile (2026)
Category | Tariff Rate | Effective Date / Status |
Baseline General Rate | 10% | Effective April 5, 2025; maintained for 2026. |
Steel & Aluminium | 50% | Section 232 "National Security" duties. |
Automobiles & Parts | 25% | Applied to all light trucks and specific components. |
Critical Minerals | Under Review | Investigated under Sec 232; potential for 10%–25% rates. |
Agriculture (Beef/Wine) | 0% – 10% | Most agricultural goods remain exempt or at 10% baseline. |
De Minimis (E-commerce) | Full Duties | Suspension of the $800 duty-free threshold (Aug 2025). |
📈 Trade & Deal Status
Deal Status: The Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement (AUSFTA) remains in force, but its protections have been partially superseded by the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Section 232 actions.
Negotiations: The Australian Government is currently lobbying for "Partner Exemptions" based on the AUKUS security pact, arguing that tariffs on Australian defense and tech exports undermine collective security.
The India Factor: Australia is benefiting from "Trade Diversion." As India faces 50% US tariffs, some US importers are shifting orders to Australian suppliers for raw materials and services where the 10% rate is comparatively cheaper.
🏢 Impacted Companies
Company | Sector | Nature of Impact |
Rio Tinto / BlueScope | Metals | 50% duties on steel/aluminum exports to the US market. |
CSL / Mayne Pharma | Pharma | Threatened with 100% "Manufacturing Reshoring" tariffs if US plants aren't expanded. |
BHP | Mining | Subject to 10% baseline; bracing for potential 25% on critical minerals. |
Treasury Wine Estates | Agriculture | Facing the 10% baseline; shifting focus toward Asian markets. |
Atlassian / Canva | Tech/Services | Largely unaffected by goods tariffs, but monitoring digital service taxes. |
📉 GDP & Economic Implications
Direct GDP Impact: Treasury and CBA (CommBank) analysis suggests a -0.2% drag on Australian GDP for 2026. This is considered "mild" compared to Canada (-2.6%) or China (-1.7%).
Supply Chain Disruption: Approximately 53% of Australian industrial businesses report import-side disruptions. Even if they don't export to the US, the global "tariff shock" has increased the cost of machinery and components they buy from other nations.
Growth Outlook: Despite the tariff headwinds, Australia’s GDP is projected to expand by 2.2% in 2026, supported by strong domestic demand and high commodity prices.
⚖️ Strategic Outlook
Australia is currently in a "wait and see" mode regarding the US Supreme Court ruling expected this month. If the court rules that IEEPA cannot be used for broad baseline tariffs, Australia would likely see the 10% baseline removed, though the 50% metals tariffs (under Section 232) would likely remain.
US Revised Tariffs
Country Tariffs
Balance of Trade
Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in countries, prepared by U.S. Embassies worldwide, Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Tariff Rate for US
World Bank staff estimates using the World Integrated Trade Solution system, based on tariff data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's Trade Analysis and Information System ( TRAINS ) database and global imports data from the United Nations Statistics Division's Comtrade database.
US Imports Guide
United States Imports from Countries during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Countries- data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on April of 2025.
Investing in USA
theboardiQ Economic Relevance Score, ranks States of USA based on 11 parameters
Sources : Forbes | USDA Economic Research | TCGen Total Innovation Rank Index | Best States for Manufacturing | World Population Review | Tax Foundation | US News | BEA Data | Wikipedia | International Trade Administration
theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score provides a comprehensive, data-driven assessment of a nation's economic vitality and global significance. This score is meticulously calculated using 11 key parameters, each reflecting a critical facet of economic performance. It analyzes the representation of Fortune 500 companies within a nation, a strong indicator of its business environment and market size. The balance of trade surplus or deficit reveals the nation's international competitiveness and export strength. It incorporates Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a fundamental measure of overall economic output, and examine the health of key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing. The score also accounts for innovation, gauging a nation's ability to drive future growth through technological advancements. Crucial labor market indicators such as employment rates are considered, alongside fiscal policies reflected in tax rates. To capture the lived experience of citizens, it assesses cost of living and disposable income, providing insight into purchasing power and economic well-being. Finally, education levels are integrated, recognizing their pivotal role in fostering a skilled workforce and driving long-term economic development. By synthesizing these 11 parameters, theboardiQ's Economic Relevance Score delivers a nuanced and holistic view of a nation's economic standing, enabling informed strategic decisions. The Top 5 States in the assessment are Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida and Washington. Texas does consistently well across most of the 11 variables especially in the areas of GDP, F500 representation in the State, Balance of Trade where it ranks 2nd nationally. North Carolina scores as the highest-ranking state nationally in manufacturing and performs consistently across the other variables. Virginia does well in disposable income where it ranks 3rd nationally. It also scores high in the variables of manufacturing and employment Florida holds the 4th ranking nationally for GDP and Tax Washington State scores the top spot for disposable income nationally, 2nd for education and 3rd for innovation. Colorado, with an overall rank of 7 scores the top spot for Education (schools and higher education). Nebraska, that ranked 10th overall, did well in Agriculture where it is ranked 3rd nationally as well as Trade Balance where it ranked 5th. Illinois, though ranked 20th overall did well nationally in F500 representation, GDP, Agriculture, and Disposable Income. Pennsylvania comes in at 21 overall doing well nationally in GDP (6th); Manufacturing (8th) and F500 representation (8th) New York scores 23rd overall with a 2 ranking in Disposable Income nationally, as well as 3rd in both F500 representation and GDP. California comes in at 29th overall and has the top spot ranking in a whopping 4 variables nationally – GDP, Innovation, Agriculture and F500 representation. However, performance in the areas of Trade Balance, Cost of Living, Tax, Manufacturing and Employment resulted in the overall ranking dipping. Wyoming at 30th overall scores the top spot nationally in the area of Tax Massachusetts at 31 overall does well in innovation where it is ranked 2nd nationally Arkansas at 36 and Alabama at 39, do well in overall Cost of Living where they are ranked 2nd and 3rd nationally, respectively. Louisiana ranked 44th overall is ranked 1st in Trade Balance nationally.

Economic
Relevance
Ranking
State | Info | Overall Rank | Agri | Innov | Mfg | Employ | Tax | Edu | GDP | F500 Rep | Trade Balance | Cost of Living | Disp Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 13 | |
North Carolina | 2 | 9 | 21 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 28 | 11 | 16 | 41 | 17 | 17 | |
Virginia | 3 | 32 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 34 | 35 | 3 | |
Florida | 4 | 21 | 11 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 4 | 7 | 40 | 30 | 37 | |
Washington | 5 | 16 | 3 | 36 | 28 | 45 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 43 | 1 | |
Missouri | 6 | 11 | 25 | 22 | 20 | 13 | 32 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 20 | |
Georgia | 7 | 15 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 26 | 34 | 8 | 9 | 43 | 26 | 19 | |
Minnesota | 8 | 6 | 10 | 47 | 6 | 44 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 33 | 33 | 9 | |
Ohio | 9 | 12 | 32 | 7 | 30 | 35 | 36 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 15 | 11 | |
Illinois | 10 | 5 | 23 | 31 | 23 | 37 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 47 | 32 | 7 |