Importer FCMT filed a trio of complaints at the Court of International Trade last week challenging CBP's appraisement of its apparel entries. In all three cases, the importer argued that CBP failed to use the products' transaction value to appraise the merchandise and that CBP engaged in an "arbitrary and fictitious appraisement" of the merchandise (FCMT v. United States, CIT #s 21-00242, -00243, -00247).
Georgetown University law professor Jennifer Hillman said that while she expects the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit to take months to decide if the tariff actions under emergency powers weren't legal, the court might not stay the vacation of the orders during that time.
President Donald Trump said at a press conference in the Oval Office that the U.S. would no longer have an economically viable country if higher courts uphold the rulings from the Court of International Trade and a U.S. district court that he doesn't have unbounded power to hike tariffs under an emergency statute.
President Donald Trump answered a question about auto tariffs for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, as the two stood in the Oval Office May 30.
In the May 28 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 59, No. 22), CBP published a proposal to revoke a ruling letter concerning the tariff classification of molybdenum disulphide powder.
As importers, customs brokers and attorneys feel whiplash from the ever-shifting changes in U.S. tariff policy, one particular issue that these stakeholders will continue to grapple with over the coming months is ensuring that importers understand and comply with all the regulations on country of origin, according to experts speaking on a May 30 webinar sponsored by the International Trade Institute titled "Rules, Risk and Reality: How EU Exporters Can Navigate the New US Trade Era."
Chapter1, a small Nevada-based importer represented by boutique litigation firm Gerstein Harrow, filed a case at the Court of International Trade on May 29 seeking class certification for all importers that have paid tariffs recently invalidated by the trade court. The suit, if successful in challenging the tariffs and establishing class certification, would provide refunds for all companies that have paid tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (Chapter1 v. United States, CIT # 25-00097).
Both on social media and during a press conference, President Donald Trump said China has not fulfilled its promises offered as part of the de-escalation from 145% U.S. tariffs and 125% Chinese tariffs.
President Donald Trump said May 30 he plans to double tariffs on imported steel to 50%. “We’re going to bring it from 25% to 50% -- the tariffs on steel into the United States of America -- which will even further secure the steel industry in the United States," Trump said at a U.S. Steel facility in Pennsylvania. "Nobody’s going to get around that." He didn't say when the new duties will take effect.
CBP is extending a tariff exemption for goods that are in-transit to reflect the May 28 Court of International Trade judgment vacating President Donald Trump's International Emergency Economic Powers Act tariffs on China, Canada and Mexico (see 2505280067). "CBP’s updated guidance is that it is generally not realistic for shipments to qualify for the in-transit exceptions if entry is not made prior to June 16, 2025," it said May 30. CBP previously said the in-transit exemptions would end May 28.