President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew in Asia, said he expects that the 20% tranche of tariffs on China, levied due to China's lack of action to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, will be lowered after he meets with President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
South Korea's government said it has agreed to the details of a trade deal that lowers tariffs on goods outside the Section 232 actions to 15%, all-inclusive, and applies that rate to autos manufactured in Korea, too.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., cheered the trade deals that leave 19% tariffs in place on Cambodian and Malaysian goods, while those countries lower their tariffs.
CBP has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to AI supply chain mapping technology firm Exiger to use its tools to detect illegal transshipment, the firm said an Oct. 28 press release. CBP also will use the software to monitor and enforce trade regulations; "deploy AI-enabled validations" of tariff classification, value and country of origin; map the flow of raw materials and sub-components through global supply chains; and create automated bills of materials for products and sub-components, the release said.
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More Republicans will vote to roll back fentanyl tariffs on Canada, lead sponsor Sen. Tim Kaine predicted the evening of Oct. 28, ahead of a vote on the Brazil emergency underpinning additional 40% tariffs on the majority of Brazilian exports.
A group of 36 senators and 171 representatives filed an amicus brief last week at the Supreme Court, challenging President Donald Trump's ability to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. All the signatories were members of the Democratic Party, save for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
President Donald Trump told reporters Oct. 27 that he had a good meeting with Brazil's president while he was in Malaysia. "We'll see what happens. I don't know if anything's gonna happen, but we'll see. They'd like to do a deal. We'll see. Right now they're paying, I guess, a 50% tariff. But we had a great meeting."
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there's no hang-up preventing the South Korean trade framework from moving to a signed deal, "just a lot of details to work out. It's a very complicated deal, and I think we're very close." However, he told reporters on Air Force One on Oct. 27 that he didn't think it would be done by Oct. 29, when the president lands in Korea.
The U.S. released an outline of an agreed-to deal with Vietnam, but said it will be finalized "in coming weeks."