Former trade negotiators agreed that the rush of other countries to finally conclude thorny trade negotiations -- like Europe and India last week -- is a reaction to President Donald Trump's trade aggression.

President Donald Trump announced on social media Feb. 2 that he would be lowering reciprocal tariffs on India from 25% to 18%. A White House official told International Trade Today that the 25% tariff that was imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to punish India for buying Russian oil also will be removed.

The U.S. and Guatemala signed a reciprocal trade deal Jan. 30 that spares Central America Free Trade Agreement-compliant goods in textiles, apparel, luggage and bags from reciprocal tariffs, and implements the usual carve-outs from reciprocal tariffs, such as agricultural goods, pharmaceutical inputs, aircraft parts. It is quite similar to the El Salvador agreement signed one day earlier (see 2601290031).

The Commerce Department will on Feb. 2 begin accepting documentation from importers to establish U.S. content exemptions from Section 232 tariffs on medium and heavy duty trucks and buses that qualify for USMCA, it said in a notice.

A top employee of a protectionist advocacy group said he's pessimistic that the Supreme Court will preserve the reciprocal tariffs President Donald Trump imposed on countries around the world last year.

As importers prepare to comply with the Consumer Safety Product Commission's plan to require the electronic filing of certificates starting July 8 (see 2601080077), companies should carefully consider who should be the role of "business administrator," or the one who will e-file the certificate, Flexport's Zach Claussen said during a webinar this week on the upcoming requirement.

The U.S. and El Salvador signed a reciprocal trade deal Jan. 29 that spares Central America Free Trade Agreement-compliant goods in textiles, apparel, luggage and bags from reciprocal tariffs, and implements the usual carve-outs from reciprocal tariffs, such as agricultural goods, pharmaceutical inputs, aircraft parts and the like.

President Donald Trump, in an executive order, said that "the policies, practices, and actions of the Government of Cuba constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat" to the U.S., and so he is using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs on countries that directly or indirectly sell or give oil or oil products to Cuba.

International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.

As importers grapple with what seems like conflicting guidance on how to handle the valuation of steel and aluminum derivatives when determining Section 232 duties, companies seem to be approaching the issue in roughly three different ways, according to Kerry Wang, senior associate attorney with Braumiller Law Group.