In December, Scott Lincicome, Vice President of Economics at the Cato Institute, and first documented how the US tariff system had become “increasingly complex and convoluted” in 2025, thanks to a rash of new and overlapping executive branch tariff measures.

Today, Lincicome released an updated flowchart incorporating both government updates and private sector feedback and documenting the tariff red tape that U.S. companies must navigate. Last week, Lincicome provided new data on these same issues.

As Lincicome writes, “the unprecedented increase in tariff red tape is a large, hidden cost on American companies—particularly small businesses that do not have the resources to navigate this system.” And, he adds, a forthcoming Supreme Court decision on the tariffs likely won’t improve the situation.

You can follow the conversation here: https://x.com/scottlincicome/status/2011460888541516114

If you would like to connect with Lincicome, please reach out to Emily at esalamon@​cato.​org