Articles Posted in Tariffs

Following days of speculation, President Donald Trump announced on February 13, 2025, a new tariff policy outlined in a Presidential Memorandum entitled the “Fair and Reciprocal Plan” (Plan). The Memorandum directs key trade and economic U.S. government agencies to take action against trading partners that impose tariffs, taxes, non-tariff barriers (NTBs), or other restrictions on U.S. goods and services. At this time, no new tariffs have been implemented.

Published on: February 12, 2025

The Trump Administration Reinstates and Expands Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

On February 10, 2025, President Trump issued two Presidential Proclamations reimposing and expanding tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Adjustment Act of 1962. These measures effectively supersede prior alternative arrangements, including tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) negotiated with key U.S. trading partners such as the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Japan and others, while also revoking country-specific exemptions previously granted to Canada and Mexico. The Proclamations represent a substantial escalation of U.S. trade policy in the metals sector and reaffirm the national security rationale that underpinned the original Section 232 tariffs imposed in 2018.

Published on: February 4, 2025

Trump 2.0: U.S. Tariffs on China Take Effect; Mexico and Canada Granted 30-Day Pause

Following President Trump’s February 1, 2025, announcement of a sweeping set of tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, citing immigration concerns and the flow of fentanyl, trade tensions have lurched unpredictably between escalation and temporary resolution. While negotiations between heads of state on February 3, 2025, led to a 30-day pause on both U.S. tariffs for Canada and Mexico and parallel retaliatory measures, the 10% tariff on imports from China took effect at 12:01 a.m. on February 4, 2025.

Published on: February 2, 2025

Trump 2.0: U.S. Imposes Tariffs on Key Trading Partners

By Stephan E. Becker, Nancy A. Fischer, Aaron R. Hutman, Benjamin J. Cote, Katherine T. Danial, Ata A. Akiner and Samantha Franks

After months of anticipation, on February 1, 2025, President Trump announced the imposition of significant tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China through three Executive Orders (EOs). While additional details are expected to be published in the Federal Register in days to come, the tariffs mark a significant shift in U.S. trade policy. At this time, negotiations appear underway between the United States, Mexico, and Canada relating to the timing of the tariffs.

Key points are outlined below.

Published on: January 22, 2025

Trump 2.0: America First Trade Policy Takes Shape

On January 20, 2025, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. Within hours of taking office, President Trump issued dozens of executive orders and an “America First Trade Policy” memorandum outlining his administration’s trade priorities and signaling an aggressive approach to reshaping U.S. trade, sanctions and national security policies. However, “Day 1” tariffs did not materialize despite previous announcements by President Trump that China, Canada and Mexico would be targeted. President Trump has informally suggested that 25% tariffs for Mexico and Canada and an additional 10% tariff for China remain possible by February 1, 2025.

Published on: May 24, 2024

USTR Calls for Stakeholder Comments Following the Report on the Four-Year Review of the Section 301 Tariffs

By Stephan E. Becker, Benjamin J. Cote and Erin Kwiatkowski

Stephan E. Becker

Benjamin J. Cote

Erin Kwiatkowski

On May 14, 2024, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published the Four-Year Review of Actions Taken in the Section 301 Investigation (“Report”), which addresses the four-year review of China-related tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (“Trade Act”) (19 U.S.C. 2411). Our previous alert on this report is available here.

On May 22, 2024, USTR published a Federal Register notice which requests comments on the proposed modifications and machinery exclusion process discussed in the May 14 report. The notice does not address the status of the current exclusions from the Section 301 duties, which are due to expire at the end of May.

Below, we discuss the proposed modifications detailed in the USTR Federal Register notice. Continue reading →

Published on: May 15, 2024

USTR Issues Long-Awaited Report on the Four-Year Review of the Section 301 Tariffs

By Stephan E. Becker, Aaron R. Hutman, Benjamin J. Cote, Samantha Franks and Erin Kwiatkowski

On May 14, 2024, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published the Four-Year Review of Actions Taken in the Section 301 Investigation (“Report”), which addresses the four-year review of China-related tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (“Trade Act”) (19 U.S.C. 2411). Our previous alert on the 2018 Section 301 Investigation findings is available here.

Published on: October 5, 2020

World Trade Organization Panel Finds Section 301 Tariffs on Chinese Products Violate WTO Rules, but Decision Unlikely to Have Impact on Tariffs

By Stephan E. Becker

Stephan E. Becker

On September 15, 2020, a World Trade Organization (“WTO”) panel found that the Trump Administration’s unilateral tariffs imposed on Chinese products violated WTO rules regarding nondiscrimination and import tariff rates agreed to by the United States. The dispute concerned China’s challenge to the Trump Administration’s tariffs imposed pursuant to the Trump Administration’s investigation under Section 301 of China’s intellectual property and technology transfer practices. Specifically, China challenged USTR List 1 (discussed here) and List 3 (discussed here).