Importer American Eel Depot filed a pair of complaints at the Court of International Trade on June 27 to contest CBP's classification of its frozen roasted eel under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 1604.17.10 and secondary subheading 9903.88.03, subjecting the goods to Section 301 duties. The company argued that its goods aren't products of China but, in fact, have a country of origin of the U.S. (American Eel Depot v. United States, CIT # 21-00278, -00279).
Georgetown Law School Professor Jennifer Hillman, a former International Trade Commissioner and member of the World Trade Organization's appellate body, said she thinks there are grounds for a challenge to 25% tariffs on autos and auto parts, imposed on national security grounds under Section 232.
Even though CBP has given some guidance on how to interpret the "in transit" reciprocal tariff exclusions, the trade is still grappling with how to proceed with the changes, according to a June 27 letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and incoming CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott.
Two former general counsels from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative disagreed sharply about the need for the current aggressive tariff hikes. But Jennifer Hillman, who is helping to write amicus briefs for members of Congress challenging the legality of International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs, and Steven Vaughn, who served in the first Trump administration, agree what would happen if the current administration loses the case.
As companies seek to accommodate changes in U.S. tariffs, they should seek to understand the terms of their intercompany agreements and transfer pricing policies to avoid potential violations, according to an energy and infrastructure lawyer with Baker McKenzie.
At an appearance at the Washington International Trade Association, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., criticized the Trump administration for instituting an "on-again, off-again tariff structure, that, in some instances, are higher than even the Smoot-Hawley levels."
Hundreds of Section 232 inclusion requests for metal derivatives cover more than $310 billion in annual imports, and imposing 50% tariffs on part of the value of "such a wide array of items, particularly where many products do not meaningfully contain steel or aluminum, risks disrupting sectors far removed from the primary industries targeted by the original Section 232 actions," argued trade groups asking Commerce to slow down before making decisions.
A recently issued antidumping duty order on alkyl phosphate esters from China (A-570-168) includes a “gap period” of no AD liability for subject merchandise entered June 2-5, 2025, the agency said in a notice June 25 correcting the AD order. The original AD order, issued June 11, had misstated the date that the gap period begins (see 2506110032).
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law on June 22 a state bill that requires food manufacturers selling products in the state to put warning labels on packaged food products that include 44 ingredients considered to be artificial colors, additives or certain banned chemicals, according to the bill's language.
The Commerce Department issued its final determination in its countervailing duty investigation on low speed personal transportation vehicles from China (C-570-177). Suspension of liquidation is currently not in effect for entries on or after April 5, 2025, and Commerce will require cash deposits of estimated CVD on future entries only if it issues a CVD order.