Despite continued aggressive rhetoric around trade policy, tariff levels heading into 2026 are likely to stabilize as the Trump administration pivots to affordability issues, according to Flexport executives speaking during a Jan. 8 webinar on tariff trends.
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The U.S. and Indonesia "have agreed on the substance stipulated in the reciprocal trade negotiation document," Indonesia said in a Dec. 23 news release, according to an unofficial translation. It said technical meetings for legal scrubbing would be held in the second week of January, and the agreement should be signed by the third week of January.
Two apparel trade experts said the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act had a bigger impact on sourcing shifts than this year's trade war, but if the framework agreements with Guatemala and El Salvador turn into full agreements, the duty-free status for qualifying apparel from those countries could make a difference.
A notice from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to be published in the Federal Register Dec. 29 says that goods from Nicaragua that don't qualify for the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) should be entered beginning Jan. 1 under Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading 9903.89.01. That tariff number doesn't add any duty past the most-favored nation rate, but the goods also are subject to the reciprocal tariff of 18%, which is applied by HTS heading 9903.02.47.
Democrats said they are going to be bringing up the high cost of living over and over again, and tariffs are a big part of their argument that Republicans are not tackling the problem.
Cuts to reciprocal tariffs under a recent trade deal with Switzerland and Liechtenstein will take retroactive effect Nov. 14, according to a notice from the Commerce Department and U.S. Trade Representative.
Cuts to reciprocal tariffs under a recent trade deal with Switzerland and Liechtenstein will take retroactive effect Nov. 14, according to a notice from the Commerce Department and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Three House Democrats introduced a resolution last week to revoke the emergency declaration that added 25% tariffs to Indian goods. That 25% tariff is because Indian firms have been buying Russian oil, and is on top of most-favored nation duties and 25% reciprocal tariffs.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said he expects the U.S. will announce more trade deals, and release text about previously announced framework deals "in the coming weeks."