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
Week Twenty-Two in Trade
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
Ninth Circuit Finds Importer Liable Under False Claims Act for Failure to Pay Antidumping Duties
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.
President Trump Expands Tariff Exemptions List
On April 12, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (“EO”) Clarification of Exceptions Under Executive Order 14257 of April 2, 2025, as Amended, which expanded the list of Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”) codes exempted from the reciprocal tariffs that were announced on April 2, 2025. The exemptions apply retroactively to goods
Petition Summary: Certain Corrosion-Resistant Steel Products (“CORE”) imported from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (the “UAE”), and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (“Vietnam”)
On September 5, 2024 Steel Dynamics, Inc. (“SDI”), Nucor Corporation (“Nucor”), United States Steel Corporation (“U. S. Steel”), Wheeling-Nippon Steel, Inc. (“Wheeling-Nippon”), and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, AFL-CIO, CLC (the “USW”) (collectively “Petitioners”)[1], filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping
Petition Summary: Vanillin from the People’s Republic of China
On June 5, 2024, Solvay USA LLC (“Petitioner”), filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on U.S. imports of Vanillin from the People’s Republic of China.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
The following language describes the imported merchandise from China that is within the scope of this Petition:
The merchandise covered by
Commerce Issues New Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Regulations
On March 22, 2024, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) released its anticipated new final countervailing duty regulations authorizing the agency to investigate subsidies provided by third country governments to manufacturers in the country under investigation. From 1997 to the present, Commerce limited its examination of subsidies to those programs and benefits provided by the investigated
Petition Summary: Ferrosilicon from Federative Republic of Brazil, the Republic of Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and the Russian Federation
On March 28, 2024, CC Metals and Alloys, LLC (“CCMA”) and Ferroglobe USA, Inc.(“Ferroglobe”) (“Petitioners”), filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on ferrosilicon from the Federative Republic of Brazil (“Brazil”), the Republic of Kazakhstan (“Kazakhstan”), Malaysia, and the Russian Federation (“Russia”).
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
The following language describes
Section 301 Exclusion Update
On December 26, 2023, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that it will further extend 352 reinstated exclusions and 77 COVID-related exclusions to duties imposed on goods from China pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 until May 31, 2024. USTR imposed Section 301 duties in four tranches or “lists,” and
Customs Modernization Bill Addresses Trade Reform
On December 8, 2023, Senators Bill Cassidy and Sheldon Whitehouse introduced a new version of the Customs Modernization bill to amend the Tariff Act of 1930. The new proposal comes over two years after Senator Cassidy initially proposed draft legislation, which we explained in a prior post. The most recent proposed bill aims to