The Commerce Department quietly launched an investigation into the national security threat of the import of trucks of gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds and components and systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, including engines and engine parts, transmissions and powertrain parts, as well as electrical components.
Twelve U.S. states, led by Oregon, filed a lawsuit at the Court of International Trade challenging President Donald Trump's ability to impose tariffs using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The complaint contests all of Trump's tariff orders issued under IEEPA as a violation of both the statutory authority conveyed by IEEPA and the Constitution's principle of separation of powers. The suit, filed by Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, also challenges CBP's series of Cargo Systems Messaging Service notices implementing the tariffs under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The Court of International Trade denied a motion from five importers to put an emergency block on President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs, in an order issued late on April 22. CIT Judges Jane Restani, Gary Katzmann and Timothy Reif ruled the five importers haven’t shown that “immediate and irreparable harm” would result from not issuing a temporary restraining order while the court considers the importers’ request for a longer-lasting preliminary injunction.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on April 21 held to a strict interpretation of the principle of finality of liquidation, ruling that the Court of International Trade can't consider equitable reasons for ordering reliquidation of finally liquidated entries. Judges Richard Taranto and Raymond Chen said the trade court can't order reliquidation beyond the statutory exceptions, which specifically refer to filing a protest with CBP or a civil action at the trade court. Judge Jimmie Reyna dissented from the ruling, arguing that the majority misapprehends CBP's protest procedures and improperly limits "CIT’s authority to enforce its judgments to a level that is inferior" to the full authority of an Article III court.
A group of five companies filed a complaint at the Court of International Trade challenging the president's authority to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The complaint, drafted by the conservative Liberty Justice Center, says President Donald Trump's use of IEEPA to impose "reciprocal" tariffs "exceeds his statutory authority." The lawsuit adds that even if IEEPA grants this authority, it amounts to an "unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority." The lawsuit is the third of its kind to challenge the use of IEEPA to impose tariffs but is the first to be filed at the trade court.
The U.S. is excluding certain smartphones, computers, chips and other items from President Donald Trump's executive order on reciprocal tariffs, CBP said in a CSMS message released late April 11. The products are being added to the list of exempt Harmonized Tariff Schedule headings and subheadings under Trump's April 2 executive order and won't be subject to the additional duties if they're entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 5.
President Donald Trump, on his social media account, said that he will drop high reciprocal tariffs that started today for 90 days. However, the 10% tariff imposed on nearly all trading partners will remain.
The pause on higher country-specific reciprocal tariffs for all covered countries except China takes effect tonight, April 10, at 12:01 a.m., said CBP in a CSMS message. Beginning at that time, all goods except goods for goods from China (including Hong Kong and Macau) and goods exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, including goods from Canada and Mexico, will be subject to the 10% tariff rate under subheading 9903.01.25.
The reciprocal tariff on China will be set at 84% when it takes effect at 12:01 a.m. tonight, said CBP in an emailed CSMS message. That reflects an additional 50% tariff announced by President Donald Trump in response to Chinese retaliatory tariffs, on top of the 34% initially set for China.
President Donald Trump posted on social media that "if China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th." Also, "all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!" he said. "Negotiations with other countries, which have also requested meetings, will begin taking place immediately."