Advisories

Mexico and Canada will not be subject to 25% tariffs if the goods already qualify under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). 

U.S. President Donald Trump granted temporary tariff exemptions (until 2 April 2025) for Canadian and Mexican goods covered by USMCA, although Trump’s tariffs will still apply to about 50% of Mexican imports and >60% of Canadian goods.

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U.S. President Donald Trump set March 4th as the start date for 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada, as well as an additional 10% tariff on Chinese goods.

Additionally, on March 2nd, Trump issued executive orders that postponed the removal of de minimis for Canada and Mexico.

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On 12 March 2025, all countries will be subject to 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum products and specified derivative products imported into the United States. No duty drawbacks will be allowed on these tariffs. 

All previous steel and aluminum agreements with trading partners, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, EU, Japan, Mexico, S. Korea, Ukraine, the U.A.E., or the U.K., will be canceled effective March 12th. A 50% tariff will be applied to steel products and derivatives from Turkey.

No exclusions or exemptions will be issued effective February 11, and all generally approved exclusions shall terminate on March 12. However, if an importer has an existing exclusion for steel or aluminum products, the Commerce Department has issued a notice that the exclusion is effective until the expiration date or until their excluded volume is exhausted, whichever occurs first.

• Additionally, on 14 February 2025, the Trump administration released the list of “derivative” products that will be subject to the 25% steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232. The specific HTS subheadings are available here (steel) and here (aluminum). Tariffs on derivatives will not take effect until the Secretary of Commerce certifies that adequate systems are in place to collect tariff revenues for these products. There is no target date set for the Secretary’s certification.

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Trump signed an executive order allowing low-value products from China to continue coming into the U.S. without additional charges, a reversal of his earlier decision to eliminate the de minimis loophole. The sudden reversal reiterates the uncertainty and volatility that companies and industries will face during Trump’s second term as President.

The de minimis exception has been used by many e-commerce companies to send goods worth <$800 into the U.S. duty-free, creating a competitive advantage.

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U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 25% duties on Canada and Mexico—with a partial exemption for Canadian energy and oil exports—and 10% on goods from China. After recent discussions with Canadian and Mexican leadership, both countries’ tariffs have been paused for 30 days as they work to meet the United States’ demands. 

A 10% levy on certain China products will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Easter Standard Time (EST) on Tuesday, February 4th, unless a deal is made. Additionally, there will be no Section 321/ de minimis (<$800) shipments allowed for products from China. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has already provided guidance regarding the implementation of the Chinese tariffs.

Image source: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg.

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U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) recently unveiled its much-awaited proposals to amend de minimis, or Entry of Low -Value Shipments (ELVS), rules. CBP is preparing to strengthen its data collection requirements for low-cost goods entering the country, according to the recently proposed rule changes.  

The rulemaking is part of a broader crackdown on business-to-consumer (B2C) E-commerce shipments, primarily from China, valued below $800 that are exempt from duty and tax payment. According to CBP, 61% of all de minimis entries come from China alone and about 70% of the de minimis traffic from China falls under the Section 301 product list.  

• Parcels shipped under the de minimis rule have much less rigorous information requirements than goods declared on formal customs entries.  

• Customs officials say criminal elements take advantage of the system to smuggle dangerous and counterfeit goods into the United States.  

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Belfast Harbour, Northern Ireland’s primary maritime gateway, plans to invest £313M (USD $387M) in capital projects across the port and Harbour Estate over the next five years. A new deepwater quay will be capable of accommodating some of the world’s largest vessels while also expanding the port’s capabilities for offshore wind turbines. 

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The Western sanctions imposed on January 10th are the toughest yet on Russia’s oil sector and the most aggressive toward its petroleum supply chain. The latest package placed restraints on dozens of oil traders, oilfield service providers, tanker owners and managers, insurance companies, and energy officials:  

• Blacklists 183 new vessels involved in shipping Russian energy products, in particular, oil tankers in the East Siberia and Urals  

• Targets major oil producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas  

• Pressures two of Russia’s biggest providers of vessel indemnity insurance: Ingosstrakh Insurance Co. and Alfastrakhovanie  

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According to a joint statement, the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) have reached a tentative agreement on a new six-year master contract, replacing the current contract 6 days before the expiration on January 15th.

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