The White House released the executive order signed by President Donald Trump today imposing a 10% universal tariff April 5, as well as higher tariffs that vary by country on April 9. As noted on a White House call earlier in the day, Mexico and Canada aren’t covered by these additional tariffs for the time being, as are goods subject to Section 232 tariffs.
President Donald Trump is imposing 10% tariffs on all imports other than those from Canada and Mexico, beginning April 5, according to a call detailing the reciprocal tariff actions ahead of the speech. These tariffs are not on top of Section 232 tariffs on autos and metals, a senior government official said on the call.
Beer imported after 12:01 a.m. ET April 4, and empty aluminum cans imported after the same date, will have to pay 25% tariffs under Section 232 on the value of the aluminum in the products. The annex of derivative products has been amended by adding subheadings 7612.90.10 and 2203.00.00.
The U.S. will impose additional 10% tariffs on most imports, but not on Mexican and Canadian goods, information goods like books, music or films, or any goods either subject to Section 232 tariffs or among goods that Trump is considering protecting under Section 232, including pharmaceuticals, copper, lumber, semiconductors, certain critical minerals, and energy and energy products.
Importers are still waiting for additional direction from CBP on how to manage new duties on steel and aluminum derivatives outside of Chapters 73 and 76, speakers on a KPMG webinar said last week.
Four Harmonized Tariff Schedule codes were mistakenly identified as needing to pay Section 232 duties under HTS 9903.85.08, according to an April 1 cargo systems message.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called on the Senate to revoke what he called "the fake emergency" of drug smuggling and migration across the Canadian border, the pretext for imposing 25% tariffs on most Canadian goods and 10% tariffs on energy and potash fertilizer.
To date, no major lawsuits challenging any of the new tariff actions taken by President Donald Trump have been filed. The reasons for that include high legal hurdles to success and inconsistency in the implementation of the tariffs, trade lawyers told us.
Lawmakers are drafting legislation to codify the authority that the Office of Information and Communication Technology and Services uses to place import restrictions on Chinese connected vehicles and other technologies, said Jeffrey Kessler, undersecretary of the Bureau of Industry and Security.
Customs attorney Dan Ujczo, who has contacts in the White House as well as clients who are major automakers, said he thinks the 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico over migration and fentanyl will continue past April 2, and will be stacked with auto tariffs and the reciprocal levies.