Full Analysis Summary
U.S. tariffs in 2025
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Donald Trump imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from nearly every country, overturning decades of U.S. trade policy and sending the effective U.S. tariff rate to levels not seen since the 1930s.
The measures drove the tariff rate to a peak in April and left it near 17% in November, a surge sources attribute to broad, often erratic policy announcements that disrupted normal trade channels.
Both outlets report the scale and rapidity of the change and its historic magnitude, characterizing 2025 as an unusually turbulent year for trade policy and commerce.
Coverage Differences
Tone / emphasis
US News & World Report (Western Mainstream) emphasizes the sweeping, 'often erratically announced measures' and describes the change as an 'unprecedented rise' in the effective tariff rate, while 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS (Local Western) stresses a 'swift, often erratic roll‑out — with announcements, suspensions and changes throughout the year,' highlighting operational instability in implementation. Both report similar facts but frame the rollout slightly differently: US News underscores the historic tariff level and overall turbulence, 5 EYEWITNESS emphasizes the on-the-ground volatility of policy announcements.
Economic effects of tariffs
The tariffs disrupted global supply chains and raised costs for consumers and businesses, according to both sources, contributing to what they describe as an unusually turbulent economic year.
The duties generated roughly $236 billion for the Treasury through November, but that windfall is a small slice of federal receipts that falls far short of replacing income taxes or funding proposed dividend checks, limiting the policy’s domestic fiscal payoff.
Coverage Differences
Narrative focus
Both sources report supply‑chain disruption and higher costs, but US News & World Report (Western Mainstream) frames the tariffs as creating 'one of the most turbulent economic years in recent memory' and highlights households and businesses bearing higher costs, whereas 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS (Local Western) compiles the effects into a concise list of key points and explicitly states the revenue 'falls far short' of replacing income taxes or funding proposed dividend checks. The local outlet’s summary format accentuates the practical shortfall between receipts and policy promises.
Duties and trade gap
Administration officials argue the duties will "recapture wealth" they say was "stolen," reduce the trade deficit and revive U.S. manufacturing.
The reporting notes limited evidence that those goals have been achieved.
Both outlets record a narrowing of the monthly trade gap from a March peak of $136.4 billion to $52.8 billion in September.
They also emphasize that the year-to-date deficit remained 17% higher than in 2024, signaling mixed results on the administration's objectives.
Coverage Differences
Attribution / reporting of claims
Both sources report the administration’s stated aims, but they clearly attribute those aims to Trump rather than endorsing them. US News & World Report (Western Mainstream) writes 'Trump says the duties will recapture wealth he calls “stolen,” reduce the trade deficit and revive manufacturing,' while 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS (Local Western) similarly reports 'Trump argues the tariffs will reclaim wealth, reduce the trade deficit and revive U.S. manufacturing' and then explicitly notes the tariffs 'producing only limited progress on those broader goals.' The local source emphasizes the limited progress after reporting the claims.
Changes in U.S. trade
Trade flows shifted markedly, as imports from China fell substantially and China moved from the top source of U.S. imports to third place behind Canada and Mexico.
The reporting says the measures "most sharply altered trade with China."
Both sources underline that China was the most affected partner in absolute import ranking and note broader dislocations across global commerce and supply chains.
Coverage Differences
Specific framing of bilateral impact
US News & World Report (Western Mainstream) states the policies 'most sharply altered trade with China' and frames that as part of a broader, historic disruption, whereas 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS (Local Western) lists the shift among its key points ('imports from China fell substantially, moving China from the largest source of U.S. imports to third place'), presenting the change as a concrete reordering of trade partners. The mainstream piece ties the China shift into a larger narrative of economic turbulence; the local piece foregrounds the measurable shift in import sources.
Media portrayal of policy effects
Taken together, the two outlets portray a policy that is profound in scope and disruptive in practice.
It delivered large Treasury receipts but failed to clearly accomplish its headline goals, while producing widespread supply-chain disruption and higher prices.
The sources are aligned on core facts but differ subtly in emphasis.
US News & World Report leans into the historic scale and turbulence of the shift.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS emphasizes the operational volatility of the rollout and the limited progress toward the administration's stated aims.
Coverage Differences
Overall narrative / emphasis
Both sources agree on the main facts (double‑digit tariffs, near‑17% effective tariff rate, $236 billion in receipts, shifted trade patterns and mixed results on deficit/manufacturing goals). The difference lies in emphasis: US News & World Report (Western Mainstream) underscores the historic magnitude and general turbulence ('one of the most turbulent economic years in recent memory'), while 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS (Local Western) summarizes the roll‑out mechanics and stresses that revenue is insufficient to meet major policy promises and that progress on objectives has been limited. Each outlet reports the other's facts but frames them to highlight different aspects of the story.