On July 22, US President Donald Trump announced via his social media account that the United States and the Philippines have concluded a trade agreement. According to the announcement, Filipino imports to the U.S. will be subject to a 19% duty. In return, the announcement states, “The Philippines is going [open market] with the United States, and [zero] Tariffs.” In a subsequent press conference, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos of the Philippines suggested that tariff-free market…
On July 22, President Trump announced that the U.S. had struck a trade agreement with Japan. The announcement calls for a 15% tariff on Japanese goods imported into the U.S. In return, Japan will “open their Country to Trade including Cars and Trucks, Rice and certain other Agricultural Products, and other things.” Under President Trump’s reciprocal tariff package announced in April, Japanese goods would be subject to a 24% duty. The imposition of this tariff…
Canada announced further protections for its domestic steel industry, expanding the application of a 50% surtax on certain steel goods initially implemented on June 27, 2025 (Steel Surtax) and introducing a 25% surtax on all imported steel products (with the exception of the US) that contain steel melted and poured in China. The Steel Surtax was introduced following a public consultation to address the risk of steel trade diversion from third countries to the Canadian…
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced the formation of the Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit (MGCF Unit). The MGCF will reportedly sit within the DOJ’s Fraud Section. Although the details of the MGCF Unit’s precise remit are still forthcoming, we expect the MGCF Unit will be empowered to pursue criminal investigations and prosecutions of tariff evasion techniques such as misclassifying or undervaluing goods, as well as transshipping goods to a different country and…
As mentioned in our US customs team’s blog post, on July 10, US President Trump announced 35% tariffs on imports from Canada. The new tariffs are scheduled to commence on August 1. Current US tariffs on Canada include 25% tariffs on Canadian origin goods excluding US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) qualifying goods, 10% tariffs on energy products and potash, 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum goods and derivative products, and 25% tariffs on automobiles and parts. The…
On July 15, President Trump turned to social media to announce a new trade agreement between the United States and Indonesia. The agreement, the third trade deal the U.S. administration has announced since the announcement of the “Liberation Day” tariffs, establishes a 19% duty on Indonesian imports to the United States, while U.S. goods will enjoy duty-free access to Indonesian markets including a potential non-tariff barrier elimination. The announcement also discloses that Indonesia has committed…
As mentioned in our US customs team’s blog post, on July 12, US President Trump announced 30% tariffs on the E.U. and Mexico, now due to come into effect on August 1. This post focuses on the EU’s response. On 15 April 2025, the European Commission formalized a 90-day suspension of additional tariffs on certain U.S.-originating products. These measures were part of the EU’s broader rebalancing strategy in response to the United States’ Section 232 tariffs…
On July 11, 2025, the White House announced through a letter published on its social media channels that, starting August 1, 2025, the United States will impose a revised 30% tariff on goods from Mexico and the European Union. For additional information on the announcement, please refer to our blog post: US: President Trump Hits Canada, EU and Mexico with High Tariffs – Import and Trade Remedies Blog In response, on July 12, 2025, the…
Days after announcing tariffs ranging from 20% to 50% against 22 countries (see our earlier commentary here and here), President Trump introduced tariffs of 35% on imports from Canada on July 10, and 30% tariffs on the E.U. and Mexico on July 12. The E.U., Mexico, and Canada represent the United States’ three largest export markets and together account for approximately 80% of U.S. exports. The new tariffs are due to commence on August 1.…
In a move that has shifted global attention back to tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump recently proposed a flat tariff increase on all imports from several countries, including 30% on South African exports to the U.S.. These U.S. actions were reported on our blog earlier this week here and here. This blog post focuses on the South African government’s response. A Rebuttal President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly opposed the tariffs, describing them as “unilateral” and based on a…