February 2025

Breaking Trade News: ACE 2.0, Steel & Aluminum Tariffs, FMC

Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade news:    

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • CBP announced the results of their recently completed global interoperability standards technology demonstrations. The results will help the agency in its efforts to modernize ACE 2.0 and make it consistent with CBP’s 21st Century Customs Framework. 
  • CBP published a Federal Register notice decreasing the IRS rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. 
  • Reminder: Registration for the April 23 CBLE is open and will close March 12 at 4:30 p.m. EDT.  
  • CBP created Harmonized Systems Updates 2505 and 2506.  

Administration 

  • President Trump signed two Presidential Proclamations imposing 25% Section 232 duties on all imported steel and aluminum. 

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

  • BIS has paused reviews of new export license applications submitted this month without explanation.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • A Florida-based non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) has paid $165,000 in civil penalties and agreed to accept and self-finance independent monitoring of their business practices as part of […]
By |2025-03-20T22:06:14-04:00February 14, 2025|news, Snapshot|0 Comments

Trump Administration Announces Plan for Reciprocal Tariffs

On February 13, 2025, the Trump Administration published a memorandum and fact sheet directing several U.S. agencies to explore the implementation of new reciprocal tariffs.

The memorandum directs the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Senior Counselor to the President for Trade and Manufacturing to take all necessary actions to investigate the harm to the United States from any existing non-reciprocal trade arrangements. The agencies must then submit a report to the President detailing proposed remedies in pursuit of reciprocal trade relations with each trading partner.

According to the memorandum, it is the policy of the United States to reduce large and persistent trade deficits and to address other unfair and unbalanced aspects of trade with foreign partners. In pursuit of this policy, President Trump stated in the memo that he is introducing the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” that will work to counter non-reciprocal aspects of trading arrangements including tariffs, taxes, and any other impediments to fair competition with the market economy of the United States.

The fact sheet outlines several examples where trading partners do not give the United States reciprocal treatment and states that reciprocal tariffs will “bring back fairness and prosperity to the distorted international trade system.”

Diaz Trade Law will continue to monitor for developments.

By |2025-02-14T17:02:28-05:00February 13, 2025|tariffs|0 Comments

ICYMI: Trump Administration Imposes 25% Steel and Aluminum Tariff

On February 11, 2025, President Trump issued two Proclamations imposing enhanced import duties on steel and aluminum products under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The orders eliminate certain exemptions from the duties, expand their scope to cover additional products, and raise the duties on covered aluminum goods from 10% to 25%.

On February 18, 2025, two Federal Register Notices were published that included lists of “derivative” products subject to the 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum under Section 232. The Federal Register Notices, which include the specific HTS subheadings for the derivative products in Annex 1 are available here (steel) and here (aluminum).

As of March 12, 2025, additional Section 232 tariffs of 25% will apply to covered aluminum and steel products from all countries. This means that countries that previously had certain exemptions from the 232 tariffs such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the EU, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, and the United Kingdom will also be subject to the 25% tariffs. Imports of derivative aluminum articles that contain “any amount of primary aluminum used in the manufacture of the derivative aluminum articles is smelted in Russia, or the derivative aluminum articles are cast in Russia,” are subject to a duty of 200%.

In addition, the additional 25% tariffs will apply to the lists of aluminum and steel derivatives identified in the annexes to the Federal Register Notices once the U.S. Department of Commerce certifies that “adequate systems are in place to fully, efficiently, and expediently process and collect tariff […]

By |2025-02-19T16:46:05-05:00February 12, 2025|Canada, China, Countries, Import, Mexico, tariffs|0 Comments

New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China: Key Updates for Importers 

President Trump first issued a fact sheet and thereafter signed three executive orders imposing new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China: 

  • 25% tariff on imports from Canada will take effect at least 30 days from Feb. 4, 2025.
  • 25% tariff on imports from Mexico are now scheduled to take effect on March 4, 2025. 
  • 10% tariff on imports from China will take effect on February 4, 2025. 

In a Truth Social post on February 27, President Trump confirmed that the tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods will go into effect on March 4. He also announced that China will face an additional 10% tariff starting March 4.

Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff. The orders ended duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 for products from China subject to these additional tariffs. However, President Trump signed a subsequent executive order pausing the suspension of de minimis treatment.

Tariffs will be on top of any other in place (301, 232, ADD, etc.) The Federal Register Notice for Canada can be found here and the Federal Register Notice for China can be found here. Customs […]

By |2025-02-28T08:29:43-05:00February 3, 2025|Canada, China, Countries, Mexico, news, tariffs|0 Comments
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