Trade Policy

President Trump Announces Higher Tariff Rates Effective August 1st

After announcing an extension of the reciprocal tariff rates from July 9, 2025, to August 1,2025, President Trump published letters which were sent to various countries indicating the tariff rate the United States will impose on that country’s imports if the country does not enter

On June 30, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce published in the Federal Register a notice to modify the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) to conform with General Terms of the United States of America-United Kingdom Economic Prosperity Deal (Executive Order 14309) with respect to automobiles, automobile parts, civil aircraft

Updated CSMS Guidance on Steel and Derivatives

One June 24, 2025 CBP published updated guidance via a CSMS Message on Section 232 tariffs, correcting the number for preexisting HTSUS subheading 9903.81.98. The change effects steel or iron derivative items imported from the United Kingdom.

Additionally, the CSMS Message added certain steel imports in Chapters 84

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Island Industries v. Sigma Corp., upheld a lower court jury determination that an importer of welded pipe fittings is liable for $8 million in unpaid antidumping duties under the False Claims Act (“FCA”). The penalty under the FCA is trebled totaling the liability to over $32 million for importer Sigma Corp. 

CBP Deploys Portal for Forced Labor Allegations

On June 20, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) announced it is deploying the Forced Labor Allegation Portal, which allows users to submit forced labor allegations. Submissions may be made anonymously and may include Allegations may be submitted supporting documents related to their submissions.

U.S. Steel and

On June 17, 2025, the two importers who filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court challenging President Trump’s authority to issue tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) petitioned the Supreme Court to hear their case instead of waiting for a ruling from the Court of Appeals.

The two companies, Hand2Mind and Learning

On June 16, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order setting a 7.5% Section 232 tariff on U.K.-origin cars which are imported under the 100,000 quota, per the announced trade deal with the U.K. Combined with the current most-favored nation status duty, the total duties and tariffs on U.K.-origin vehicles imported under the quota will

Effective June 28, 2025, importers of derivative downstream products incorporating aluminum known should report “unknown” in lieu of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) code when the country of smelt and cast is not known, per CSMS guidance published by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”).

CBP’s CSMS states that, when reporting “unknown” for the