A State Department notice declaring that all agency efforts to control international trade now constitute a "foreign affairs function" of the U.S. under the Administrative Procedure Act will ultimately be subject to the discretion of the courts, trade lawyers told us.
Customs brokers and importers are still grappling with how to comply with the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives that went into effect just after midnight on March 12 (see 2503120054).
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will "shortly" respond to EU retaliatory tariffs on U.S. whiskey with a 200% tariff on EU alcoholic beverages, including wine and champagne, if the EU whiskey tariff -- set to take effect April 1 -- isn't removed.
As the dust settles on the Trump administration's expansion of Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, industry and consumer advocacy groups responded with either glowing support or dour predictions of economic ruin.
The EU and Canada announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. this week, targeting billions of dollars' worth of American exports in response to what they said were unjustified global 25% steel and aluminum duties imposed by the Trump administration. Other nations also criticized the U.S. tariffs as they mulled countermeasures of their own.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the weeks of Feb. 10-16, Feb. 17-23, Feb. 24 - March 2 and March 3-9:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Actions to slap an effective date of March 12 for Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives outside of Chapters 73 and 76 -- and to give the trade community less than three hours to get their systems in place so that they can comply with this new effective date -- sent brokers and importers into a tailspin.
The Commerce Department seeks comments by April 1 in connection with its recently launched Section 232 investigation on the national security effects of “wood products: timber, lumber, and their derivative products,” it said in a notice to be published March 13. The agency began the investigation on the tariffs on March 10, after President Donald Trump issued an executive order calling for the inquiry (see 2503030039).
The Commerce Department seeks comments by April 1 in connection with its recently launched Section 232 investigation on the national security effects of “imports of copper in all forms, including, but not limited to, raw mined copper; copper concentrates; refined copper; copper alloys; scrap copper; and derivative products,” it said in a notice to be published March 13. President Donald Trump ordered the investigation Feb. 24 (see 2502250044).