On September 25 and after years of litigation, the Federal Circuit upheld tariffs on Chinese goods imposed during President Donald Trump’s first term under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 . The three-judge panel unanimously agreed that the administration had the authority to expand the initial tariffs from USD 50 billion to USD 320 billion worth of Chinese goods on products in 2019. Importers challenged the tariffs arguing they were unlawful. The court…
The US Department of Commerce announced that it had initiated separate investigations under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 into imports of a broad array of medical goods and imports of robotics and industrial machinery. These new investigations illustrate the administration’s growing reliance on Section 232 investigations to impose tariffs. Section 232 authorizes the President, through the US Department of Commerce, to examine national security impacts of specific imports. In addition to…
On September 25, President Donald Trump took to his social media platform Truth Social to announce a new wave of tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, targeting furniture, pharmaceuticals and trucks. These measures, set to take effect on October 1, 2025, are framed as necessary for national security and are being implemented to revitalize domestic manufacturing, and seem to follow from the previously announced initiation of Section 232 investigations covering such products.…
The US Supreme Court granted certiorari in VOS Selections, Inc. v. Trump on September 9, agreeing to review a recent decision of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that held that the invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on dozens of trading partners is illegal. For further information on what’s at stake in VOS Selections, see our earlier commentary here and here. The Court has also consolidated…
On August 29, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) issued a 7-4 en banc opinion in VOS Selections, Inc v. Trump, holding that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the President to impose broad, indefinite tariffs. The case was initially brought in the Court of International Trade (CIT) by private businesses and US state attorneys general. The President invoked IEEPA on various grounds, including concerns about drug…
On August 21, 2025, the European Union and United States unveiled their Framework on an Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade (“Framework”). The Framework follows, and provides further detail to, the July announcement that the European Union and United States had agreed on broad terms of a trade deal. The Framework outlines the key terms of the trade deal that will be negotiated between the parties, and is a first step in a process…
On August 11, 2025, in a continued effort to recalibrate trade relations with China, President Trump issued a new executive order extending the suspension of certain tariffs on Chinese goods for importation into the United States. China subsequently confirmed in a joint statement that it too would delay new tariff measures against US goods for now. These moves reflect ongoing discussions between the two countries. Earlier this year, the US administration declared a national emergency…
On August 6, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order on “Addressing Threats to the United States by the Government of the Russian Federation,” imposing additional tariffs on Indian imports. Under these new tariffs imports of most Indian goods will be subject to an additional 25% duty, which will stack on top of the 25% duty on Indian imports taking effect on August 7, to result in a 50% effective duty. The Executive Order states…
On July 30 and 31, President Trump issued several significant trade measures. The new developments come just days, or in some cases, hours, before the August 1 deadline for the “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs to resume. New Reciprocal Tariffs Announced On July 31, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled “Further Modifying the Reciprocal Tariff Rates.” The Order sets new tariff rates for dozens of countries just hours before the “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs were…
On 27 July 2025, President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new deal on tariffs and trade between the United States and the European Union. The agreement aims to stabilize EU – U.S. trade relations and prevent a broader tariff escalation. Early reporting on and statements about the new agreement indicates that a single tariff rate of 15% will apply to most imports into the United States as well as…