The implementation of -- and seemingly abrupt reprieve from -- 10% to 25% duties on goods imported from Canada and Mexico is causing whiplash among customs brokers.
CBP created Harmonized System Update 2508 on March 3, containing 58 Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records and 17 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2508 includes the recent Canada, Mexico and China tariff updates as well as several PGA HTS flag updates: FDA tariff flags on eight HTS codes under heading 1207, from FD4 to FD3.
President Donald Trump is excluding Canadian and Mexican exports from 10% or 25% duties that began March 4, as long as those goods can qualify for USMCA benefits. The change starts at 12:01 a.m. March 7.
CBP plans to double down on implementing President Donald Trump's America First trade policy, according to federal officials speaking during the quarterly meeting of the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee, held in Atlanta on March 5.
From corporate giants to small companies, in farming, manufacturing and retail, Americans said tariffs on Canada and Mexico were damaging their businesses and driving up costs for customers.
CBP created Harmonized System Update 2507 on Feb. 28, containing 678 Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records and 213 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2507 includes several PGA HTS flag updates as well as adjustments required by the verification of the 2025 Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
CBP posted the following documents for the March 5 Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) meeting:
Imported goods subject to heading 9903 tariff subheadings, including goods from China, may qualify for informal entry only if the goods are valued at $250 or less, CBP indicated in answers to questions posed by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America at a recent meeting.
Alexandra Hess, a former official at CBP, has rejoined Cassidy Levy as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office, the firm announced on LinkedIn. At CBP, Hess served as branch chief for entry process and duty refunds in the Office of Regulations & Rulings, where she "issued rulings and advice" on "the entry process, duty drawback, de minimis, reconciliation, bonding, antidumping and countervailing duties, temporary importation under bond, foreign trade zones, right to make entry, broker compliance and management, and quota," the firm said.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America supports the National Marine Fisheries Service's efforts to automate entry processing for seafood imports, although the trade association also said NMFS needs to address some outstanding issues stemming from that agency's efforts to create a streamlined process that can parse out restricted shipments from non-restricted shipments, according to a Feb. 18 comment submitted to NMFS.