top of page

United Arab Emirates

US Revised Tariffs (%)

10

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.

david-whipple-mU-wz7JlJMc-unsplash_Ravid.jpg
Revised Tariff %
Original Tariff %
Country Tariff Rate %
Share of US Imports % (1 implies <1%)
10
10
2.6
1
Exports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Imports (in USD Bill.) 2024
Balance (in USD Bill.) 2024
26.97
7.47
19.49

Implications

The current trade relationship between the US and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is defined by the new universal "reciprocal" tariff policy, but the UAE currently benefits from a much lower rate compared to other targeted economies like China and India.

Here is an update on the US tariffs and the UAE's trade status as of October 2025:


US Tariffs Update: United Arab Emirates (UAE)


Area

Status (October 2025)

Key Details

US Tariffs on UAE Goods

10% Reciprocal Tariff

UAE goods are subject to the 10% universal baseline reciprocal tariff imposed by the US on imports from all countries without a specific exemption or trade agreement. This rate was reinstated after a temporary reprieve expired in July 2025.

Section 232 Tariffs

50% Tariffs

Imports of aluminum from the UAE are subject to the significantly higher 50% Section 232 "national security" tariffs, which apply globally to steel and aluminum products, regardless of the 10% baseline.

Deals and Agreements

No US Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

The UAE does not have a specific Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US that would exempt it from the current tariffs.

UAE's Response

Accelerated Global Trade Deals

To offset the impact of US tariffs and global trade uncertainty, the UAE is aggressively pursuing Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with numerous global partners (e.g., Australia, Malaysia, Kenya, and is in talks with Mercosur).



Impact on Companies


The new global tariff landscape, particularly the much higher tariffs on China, is indirectly benefiting the UAE by creating a strong incentive for companies to reroute or relocate manufacturing and assembly operations.


Impact

Details

Supply Chain Relocation

The significant tariff differential (UAE: 10% vs. China: ~30% to over 100% on some products) creates a massive incentive for global and American companies to shift production or assembly of items like electronics and machinery to the UAE to avoid the higher duties on Chinese-origin goods.

Transshipment Risk

The US has implemented a severe 40% transshipment penalty on goods found to be falsely labeled as originating in the UAE (or any other country) to evade applicable duties. This means companies using the UAE as a simple reshipment hub without substantial processing risk high fines.

Direct Cost Increase

American importers of certain UAE goods, especially aluminum products (50% tariff), are directly absorbing higher import costs, which can then be passed on to US consumers and businesses.

US Exporters

The UAE remains the top US export market in the Middle East, with a significant trade surplus for the US (meaning the US exports much more to the UAE than it imports). US companies in the aerospace, energy, AI, and defense sectors continue to view the UAE as a critical regional hub for their exports.


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 : ForbesUSDA 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.

theboardiQ Logo

Economic
Relevance
Ranking

Get Great Talent. Subscribe.

Thanks for subscribing!

265 Garnet Dr 

Livermore, CA 94550

  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • X
  • Facebook
bottom of page