Two importers challenging tariffs imposed under the international Emergency Economic Powers Act, Learning Resources and Hand2Mind, petitioned the Supreme Court June 17 to hear their case in a bid to accelerate the resolution of the challenges to President Donald Trump's IEEPA tariffs. The companies, represented by Akin Gump, said the high court should hear the case now in "light of the tariffs’ massive impact on virtually every business and consumer across the Nation, and the unremitting whiplash caused by the unfettered tariffing power the President claims" (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, Sup. Ct. # 24-1287).
The additional in-quota Section 232 tariff rate for British cars will be 7.5% under a deal recently concluded with the U.K., so that the combined most-favored nation and 232 tariff will be 10% as long as imports are under the 100,000 annual tariff rate quota amount, beginning seven days after the June 16 executive order is published in the Federal Register.
Changes in how the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee is organizing its working groups, as well as further discussion about the potential incorporation of "real-time modern processes," are coming at a time when CBP appears to be putting greater emphasis on trade enforcement as part of a broader effort to bolster national security.
The executive director of the U.S. office of the top association for Mexico's businesses echoed the upbeat line of his government, that the USMCA carveouts in the global trade war give Mexico and Canada a leg up.
A report on forced labor in critical mineral supply chains identified "major entities" operating in the Xinjiang province of China and documented evidence of their involvement in labor transfer programs of Uyghurs from the region. The report also highlighted the risk that products made by those entities have entered the global market over the previous two years.
President Donald Trump, at a June 12 event rolling back a California standard that by 2035, all vehicles sold would be zero-emission, pointed to his original Section 301 tariff on Chinese electric vehicles as the reason you don't see those cars in the U.S.
The value of the steel in refrigerator-freezers; dryers; washing machines; dishwashers; chest and upright freezers; cooking stoves; ranges and ovens; food waste disposals; and welded wire rack will be taxed at 50%, starting on June 23, the Bureau of Industry and Security said in a notice that will be published in the Federal Register June 16.
Senators from both parties asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to respond to a Wall Street Journal editorial headlined "Trump Has No China Trade Strategy." Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., when he had a chance to ask Bessent questions, quoted from it that Trump "has used tariffs as an economic scatter-gun against friends as well as foes."
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit's stay of the Court of International Trade decision vacating all International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariff action likely doesn't signal a win for either side on the merits of the issue, various attorneys told us. In addition, the court's move to set a July 31 oral argument date and have all active judges hear the case indicates a decision will likely be issued in August, the attorneys said.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that if 18 major trading partners negotiate in good faith, "it is highly likely ... we will roll the date forward to continue in good faith negotiations." He was referring to the July 9 deadline when country-specific reciprocal tariffs above 10% are due to return.