The so-called "tariff apocalypse" may not have been canceled, but it has certainly been muddled. Last week, President Donald Trump announced a series of tariffs that pitted the United States against the rest of the world, only to hit the brakes with a "90-day pause" just as the largest tariffs were set to take effect. But don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet – the pause is only partial, and the tariffs that remain in place are still causing chaos.

The tariffs, which were announced on April 2nd, included a 10 percent base tax on goods from nearly every country on the planet, plus even higher tariffs – sometimes reaching 50 percent – on many of America's most important trading partners. The base rate went into effect over the weekend, with Trump declaring that despite other countries' attempts to negotiate, he wasn't backing down. China retaliated with its own tariffs, prompting Trump to promise an extra 50 percent hike on US taxes on Chinese goods, bringing the total to a staggering 104 percent.

Then, Trump changed his mind. He announced that "based on the fact that more than 75 Countries have called Representatives of the United States … I have authorized a 90 day PAUSE, and a substantially lowered Reciprocal Tariff during this period." But the details of the pause are confusing, even to White House officials. The 10 percent hike is still in effect, and the pause doesn't apply to Canada and Mexico, which have their own set of tariffs to worry about. Trump has also promised more tariffs coming on specific goods in the future.

So, what does it all mean? In short, the tariffs are still on, but at a lower rate than initially announced. The pause is only temporary, and the trade war with China shows no signs of ending. The situation is so confusing that even White House officials don't seem to know which tariffs apply to which countries. And to make matters worse, Trump has promised more tariffs in the future, including on chips and pharmaceuticals.

The impact of the tariffs is already being felt. The stock market plunged last week, and small businesses are panicking. The delay of Switch 2 preorders is just one example of how the tariffs are affecting everyday consumers. And with the tariffs on goods from China, Hong Kong, and other countries set to increase again in 90 days, the situation is unlikely to improve anytime soon.

So, what's next? The European Union has suspended its own retaliatory tariffs targeting US goods, but only for 90 days. India, Vietnam, and other countries are living on borrowed time, with their tariffs set to increase again if they don't negotiate a better deal. And China has already responded to the tariffs by reducing Hollywood's access to the Chinese box office. The trade war is far from over, and the consequences are likely to be felt for a long time to come.

In the midst of all this chaos, one thing is clear: the tariff apocalypse may not have been canceled, but it's certainly been muddled. With the situation changing by the day, it's hard to keep track of what's happening. But one thing is certain – the tariffs are here to stay, at least for now.