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U.S. President Donald Trump announced that imports from countries supplying Iran with military weapons will face immediate 50% tariffs with no exemptions. This was announced in a Truth Social post shortly after a two-week ceasefire agreement with Tehran. Trump did not specify which countries could face these tariffs but referenced past legal challenges to his use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) for broader global tariffs, which were struck down by the Supreme Court in February. China and Russia have historically supplied Iran with military equipment, including missiles and air-defense systems, to counter U.S. and Israeli pressure. However, recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have limited these supplies. Reuters reported in February that Tehran was considering purchasing supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles from China, and in March, China’s top semiconductor maker, SMIC, was alleged to have sent chipmaking tools to Iran’s military. Trump has alternative tariff tools, such as Section 301 (unfair trade practices) and Section 232 (trade expansion act) of the Cold War-era Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which could be used to impose tariffs on Chinese goods. However, these would require public notice periods and investigations. Meanwhile, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer emphasized maintaining stability in the U.S.-China relationship during Trump’s planned trip to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, aiming to preserve access to Chinese rare-earth minerals and avoid confrontation. Russia remains a source of arms technology for Iran, though U.S. imports of Russian goods have declined sharply since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions. U.S. imports from Russia increased by 26.1% in 2025, dominated by palladium for automotive catalytic converters, fertilizers, and enriched uranium for nuclear reactors. The Commerce Department is considering punitive tariffs on Russian palladium due to an anti-dumping investigation.