President Donald Trump issued an executive order late Nov. 14 exempting many agricultural products from all reciprocal tariffs. The executive order said the new tariff exemptions took effect at 12:01 a.m. Nov. 13.
The U.S. will lower its reciprocal tariffs on Switzerland to “a maximum of 15%” under a tariff deal announced by the Swiss government Nov. 14. As part of the deal, Switzerland will reduce its tariffs on “a range of U.S. products,” including industrial and agricultural products, and its companies “are planning to make direct investments in the USA amounting to” $200 billion by the end of 2028.
DOJ has increasingly relied on an undervaluation theory for trade enforcement cases brought under the False Claims Act in its increased attempt to police trade fraud and may be looking to include "corporate integrity agreements" as part of trade-related FCA settlements, attorneys at Faegre Drinker said during a Nov. 13 webinar that focused on increased trade enforcement.
CBP has been liquidating entries related to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs faster than the typical 314-day cycle, so importers should monitor and track those entries that they plan to file protests on, a trade attorney suggested in a note to clients this week.
Should the Supreme Court rule that the tariffs administered under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act are not valid, importers of record, who could potentially receive duty refunds, may also end up in legal battles with others who shared in the importer's tariff burden, founding member and principal of Sandler and Travis said during Flexport's Nov. 12 webinar on tariff trends.
The U.S. is eliminating 15% tariffs on Ecuadoran bananas and cocoa, and 10% tariffs on Guatemalan coffee and Argentinian beef, as the three countries have reached framework agreements on reciprocal trade.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the weeks of Oct. 27 - Nov. 2 and Nov. 3-9:
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
As customs brokers and importers respond to sudden changes in U.S. trade compliance regulations, the trade will need to come up with new models that can allow companies to be nimble when those changes trickle down to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, trade expert Cindy Allen said recently at the Automotive Industry Action Group's North American Customs and Trade Town Hall on Nov. 6 in Detroit.
President Donald Trump told a TV interviewer that there would be "surgical" reductions to reciprocal tariffs, and that he intends to lower tariffs on coffee.