President Donald Trump said at a press conference May 8 that Rolls-Royce engines and other British aerospace exports will enter duty-free, but the 10% tariffs on British goods will remain in place on all other goods under a tariff deal with the U.K.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will post all valid requests for new tariff subheadings to be added to the lists of derivatives subject to Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs after the conclusion of the two-week window to submit requests that began May 1, BIS said in an interim final rule published May 2 (see 2504300031). Once they are posted, BIS will accept comments for 14 days.
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.
Both the Japanese government and Japanese reporters' coverage of Japan's more than two-hour talk with the U.S. trade representative, commerce secretary and treasury secretary describe politicians who are not in a hurry to settle to avoid 24% tariffs under the reciprocal tariff plan that is scheduled to take effect in early July.
President Donald Trump, in a social media post, complained that other countries are offering "all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States," and that Hollywood and other U.S. regions "are being devastated." He said this is national security threat. "It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN!"
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz told commerce deputy secretary nominee Paul Dabbar that, as "an experienced dealmaker," he hopes Dabbar will help to secure "freer and fairer trade with our allies, not across-the-board protectionism" -- and to also argue for that approach.
As CBP has made it clear that it will ramp up efforts to ensure companies and importers are complying with import regulations and all the assorted tariff modifications, the roles of customs brokers and import compliance experts have been elevated within company structures, several trade experts said this week in webinars.
Hogan Lovells lawyers, speaking to an audience from the Massachusetts Export Center, said that conservative Supreme Court justices' desire to curtail executive decision-making through the "major questions doctrine" could put a stop to tariffs on countries around the world levied via the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA.
CBP created Harmonized System Update 2517 on April 29, containing 254 Automated Broker Interface records and 58 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2517 includes the Section 232 auto parts updates: HTS 9903.94.05 and 9903.94.06, as well as partner government agency (PGA) updates. Additional information on the Section 232 Auto Parts Updates can be found here.
Imported automotive parts that can be filed under the free trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada will continue for now to face a 0% duty rate even as the 25% auto parts duty goes into effect for everyone else this weekend, CBP confirmed when it released guidance via a May 1 cargo systems message on the Section 232 import duties for certain auto parts.