The Automotive Industry Action Group is alerting members that original equipment manufacturer suppliers will need to provide additional information on their supply chains' exposure to forced labor. This disclosure will occur in phases, starting in September for selected suppliers, with plans to expand that list of suppliers by mid-2026.
A group of trade associations that includes restaurants, wine shops, domestic distillers and bottle providers asked the president to allow European wines and spirits to enter the U.S. duty-free, in the case of spirits, and under most-favored nation rates, for wines, rather than the 15% EU reciprocal tariff rate.
Importers of automobiles and auto parts are facing a massive increase in compliance standards as the Trump administration's tariffs on automobiles force importers to reevaluate supply chains to find competitive advantage, compliance experts said during an Aug. 6 webinar.
An Aug. 5 survey from the National Foreign Trade Council reveals concern among importers that current U.S. tariff policies are causing supply chain disruptions, inflating costs, and delaying planned projects.
The recent trade deal announced between the U.S. and South Korea avoided the worst-case scenarios on the table and maintains comparative advantage with competitors, according to economists and experts on U.S.-Korea relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Section 232 tariffs on copper and its derivatives appear to have been developed under a greater understanding of how U.S. manufacturing works, according to trade expert Cindy Allen, who appeared on an Aug. 1 "Simply Trade" podcast episode to discuss the numerous U.S. trade actions that occurred last week.
San Francisco-based Caspian, an ABI software vendor and licensed customs broker, is officially launching its AI-informed advisory services for duty drawback and tariff refund processing, according to a recent announcement. The company, which bills itself as "an AI-driven customs compliance startup," says its tools are able to analyze companies' international shipping records and inventory data to find eligible duty refunds that can be submitted as claims within days. Because Caspian is approved by CBP as a tech provider and customs broker, it says it can file claims with CBP on behalf of clients or in support of others' existing trade advisory work.
The American Association of Port Authorities is asking appropriators to restore Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund spending to ports that have traditionally collected more harbor maintenance taxes than they have gotten in projects, and to return to a program of spending on emerging harbors, as laid out in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. The letter also was signed by port directors around the country.
Now that the White House appears to have given more direction on its trade and tariff actions, more companies may transition from a wait-and-see approach to more specific courses of action, trade experts with KPMG said during a July 31 webinar on tariffs and trade complexities.
The National Foreign Trade Council responded to the U.S. hikes in tariffs Aug. 1 (see 2507310081) by saying that agreements to remove some trade barriers are encouraging but "a great deal of work remains to be done to make sure they deliver on those promises and to accelerate efforts to remove discriminatory measures that were not part of those initial understandings.