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…
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued its bi-annual update to its trade verification priorities this week. These priorities provide notice to Canadian importers of the goods and customs programs which will be targeted by CBSA’s compliance crosshairs throughout the remainder of 2025. Several goods remain subject to the CBSA’s 2025 trade verification priorities for their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round. While the verification priorities under tariff classification and origin announced in January remain static, the CBSA has not…
On July 9, President Trump took to social media to announce updated tariffs targeting eight countries, which will come into effect on August 1. The news follows the announcement two days earlier of revised tariffs against 14 countries and the extension of the postponement of country-specific reciprocal tariffs, until August 1. The revised tariff rates range from 20% to 50%. As with the previously announced duties, the updated rates include hikes for some countries as…
At the Annual Compliance conference recently held in London, Baker McKenzie hosted its session on “Geopolitics, Trade Disruption and Tariff Wars: Developing a Global Business Strategy”. The panel, chaired by Tristan Grimmer, featured speakers from our team across the globe, and explored the evolving landscape and its implications for international commerce. Rod Hunter, based in our Washington D.C. office, opened with an overview of the current U.S. Administration’s trade policy, emphasizing its transactional, zero-sum approach…
As Canada and the US celebrated their respective anniversaries of confederation and declaration of independence last week, we revisit the last few weeks of US-Canada trade-related headlines and breakdown their significance for Canadian and US businesses. While other US trading partners stare down the US administrations’ August 1 “reciprocal” tariff deadline, Canada is focused on inking a new trade and security deal prior to July 21. Canadian and US businesses should take note of…
In a move that could significantly reshape transatlantic commerce, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14309 on June 16, 2025, enacting key provisions of the UK-US Economic Prosperity Deal. This agreement, unveiled at the G7 summit in Canada, aims to ease trade tensions and foster deeper economic cooperation between the United Kingdom and the United States. The order was published that same day in the Federal Register and its provisions went into effect on June…
On July 2, 2025, President Trump announced on a social media post that the United States had entered a trade agreement with Vietnam. According to the post, the agreement will provide for the importation of US products into Vietnam free of tariffs. In exchange, Vietnamese imports will be assessed a 20% duty. Additionally, a 40% tariff will apply to transhipments—i.e., goods originating from third countries shipped to the US via Vietnamese ports. Background Vietnam was…
On June 17, the plaintiff-appellees in Learning Resources, Inc., et al v. Donald Trump, et al petitioned the Supreme Court of the United States for certiorari, asking the Court to consider the lawfulness of tariffs President Trump imposed under the putative authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). With the appeal currently pending before the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit), the petition takes the uncommon step of…
On June 3, President Trump signed a proclamation increasing tariffs on certain imported steel and aluminum to 50% under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The proclamation increases the applicable rate of these duties from 25% and makes additional changes as to the applicable duties for certain products which could be subject to multiple tariff schemes. A summary of the effects of this June 3 proclamation are outlined in this update. Key…
In early May 2025, President Donald Trump proposed a new tariff policy targeting foreign-made films. In a post on his social media platform, President Trump announced plans to impose a 100% tariff on all movies produced outside the United States and imported for American audiences. The move, he said, is necessary to protect American jobs and the domestic film industry, which he said is being undercut by foreign governments offering generous production incentives to lure…