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…
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…
On July 7, President Trump announced revised tariffs rates for certain trading partners that will take effect on August 1 and extended the postponement of his “Liberation Day” tariffs. The revised tariffs were announced via letters to 14 countries and range from 25% to 40%. These actions come mere days before President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, which were paused to allow for the negotiation of bilateral trade agreements, were due to resume on July 9 for…
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…
The United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) have concluded a trade deal covering a range of products and promoting market access for goods. In response to the recent additional tariffs adopted by the US administration, both countries agreed to the following: Additionally, the UK-US trade deal includes: The US administration has also announced that this trade deal includes streamlined customs procedures for US exports, the creation of a secure supply chain for pharmaceutical…
The European Commission has unveiled a proposed response to the US tariffs on cars and automotive parts, as well as the so-called reciprocal tariffs. These countermeasures from the European Union (EU) will be adopted if the ongoing negotiations with the US administration fail. As mentioned in our last blog, the EU decided to pause for 90 days, until 14 July, the implementation of EU countermeasures on a list of US-origin products that could potentially be…
On 3 April 2025, the UK Government published a consultation on the impact of any future tariffs on UK imports from the US. The consultation followed an announcement by the UK Trade Secretary in Parliament that the UK Government is considering “every option” in response to US President Trump’s imposition of “Liberation Day” import tariffs on the UK of 10%. For further details regarding the announcement of these tariffs and the global impact, please see our blog…
At 4 PM EDT on April 2, 2025, President Trump announced his reciprocal tariffs on all imports into the United States. Importantly, goods from Canada and Mexico were excluded from additional duties. Other announced rates include: United Kingdom (10%), EU (20%), China (34%), Vietnam (46%), Taiwan (32%), South Africa (30%), Japan (24%), India (26%), South Korea (25%), and Brazil (10%). While the White House Fact Sheet and Executive Order have been released, official documents referenced…