
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 2026, the U.S.-China trade landscape is characterized by a "fragile truce" following a series of aggressive tariff updates and subsequent diplomatic negotiations. While bilateral trade has hit historic lows, recent agreements have provided some breathing room for specific sectors.
Latest US Tariffs Update (January 2026)
Reciprocal Tariff Suspension: The White House has extended the suspension of heightened reciprocal tariffs on many Chinese imports until November 10, 2026. This aligns with China’s commitment to pause retaliatory duties on U.S. agricultural products.
New Semiconductor Duties: Effective January 15, 2026, a 25% tariff was imposed on advanced computing chips and AI-related derivatives. Notably, these chips must now be routed through the U.S. for testing before export to China, with no duty drawbacks allowed upon re-export.
Fentanyl-Related Relief: In a diplomatic move, the "IEEPA Fentanyl Tariff" on Chinese goods was reduced from 20% to 10% in late 2025.
Postal Items: Duties on postal shipments from China have been adjusted to a 54% rate (or $100 flat fee), a reduction from previous spikes that reached 120%.
Economic & Company Impact
GDP Impact
Current projections from the Tax Foundation and IMF suggest:
Growth Reduction: Tariffs are estimated to reduce long-run U.S. GDP by approximately 0.5% to 0.7% due to increased capital costs and reduced output.
Inflation: Forecasters warn that "tariff transmission lag" (companies running out of old, non-tariffed inventory) could push headline inflation above 4% by mid-2026.
Revenue: Tariffs are expected to generate roughly $2.1 trillion in federal revenue from 2026–2035, though this is partially offset by decreased corporate tax bases.
Major Companies Impacted
Company | Primary Impact | Status in 2026 |
Nvidia | Export controls on H200 chips | Easing: Recent allowances for "approved customers" in China. |
Apple | Supply chain diversification | Shifting: Moving iPhone/iPad assembly to Vietnam and India. |
Tesla | Raw material costs (Rare Earths) | Vulnerable: China’s 2025 export controls on rare earths remain a risk. |
Amazon | De minimis & postal duties | Pressured: 54% duty on low-value postal shipments from HK/China. |
Target / Walmart | Consumer goods pricing | Passing costs: Gradually increasing prices as stockpiled inventory depletes. |
Latest Trade Balance (BOT) - Country YTD
As of January 2026 (Reflecting Q3/Q4 2025 data)
The U.S. goods deficit with China has narrowed significantly as trade routes shift toward Southeast Asia and North America.
Trading Partner | Trade Balance (Surplus/Deficit) | Note |
China | -$238.98 Billion | Remains the largest source of U.S. deficit. |
Mexico | -$192.23 Billion | Growing share as "near-shoring" substitute for China. |
Vietnam | -$162.42 Billion | Hub for electronics formerly sourced from China. |
Ireland | -$3.2 Billion | Sharp decrease in deficit due to pharmaceutical shifts. |
Hong Kong | +$25.62 Billion | One of the largest U.S. trade surpluses. |
SWOT Analysis: US-China Trade Relations 2026
Strengths | Weaknesses |
* Mutual desire for economic stability during domestic elections. | * Deep mutual distrust; "Phase One" purchase failures. |
* Weaponized interdependence (MAD-style stability). | * High domestic inflation from tariff pass-through. |
Opportunities | Threats |
* 2026 APEC Summit in Shenzhen (potential for "Phase Two" deals). | * Selective decoupling in "chokepoint" sectors (rare earths, AI). |
* Collaborative AI safety and regulation frameworks. | * Escalation of Section 232 duties on other allies (EU/Canada). |
Trump Tariffs Hit, China Still Ends 2025 With a Record Surplus
This video provides a timely breakdown of how China managed a record surplus in 2025 despite U.S. tariff pressures and what it signals for trade policy in 2026.
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 |