CBP improperly classified importer Air Distribution USA's shisha molasses, also known as "hookah tobacco," as a type of "smoking tobacco" and erroneously subjected the shisha molasses to federal excise taxes on "pipe tobacco," Air Distribution argued in a complaint last month at the Court of International Trade (Air Distribution USA v. United States, CIT # 25-00063).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted on CBP's website Aug. 5, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.
CBP created Harmonized System Updates 2530 and 2531 on Aug. 5. HSU 2530 contains 404 Automated Broker Interface records and 135 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2531 contains four ABI records and two HTS records. HSU 2530 includes the additional duties on imports from Brazil effective Aug. 6, the reciprocal tariff updates effective Aug. 7, and miscellaneous tariff adjustments required by verification of the 2025 HTS. HSU 2531 includes an update to the countries of origin for the EU reciprocal tariffs.
President Donald Trump said in the Oval Office Aug. 6 that the U.S. will be imposing a tariff of "approximately 100%" on chips and semiconductors, "but if you're building in the United States of America, there is no charge."
On Aug. 27, Indian goods that are currently subject to reciprocal tariffs will be tariffed at an additional 25%, on top of the 25% reciprocal tariff set to take effect Aug. 7, the White House announced.
Thompson Hine trade lawyer Dan Ujczo, who has expertise in North American trade and, particularly, automotive trade in the USMCA region, said the way the carve-outs to 25% Section 232 tariffs have been shaking out has surprised him -- and, he believes, has surprised countries that are automaking powerhouses.
The U.S. will impose another additional 25% tariff on India beginning Aug. 27 to address India’s imports of Russian oil, said President Donald Trump in an executive order issued Aug. 6.
Arun Venkataraman, the former assistant secretary of commerce for global markets, has joined Covington & Burling as a partner in the international trade practice, the firm announced. While at Commerce 2022-25, Venkataraman led efforts to "expand commercial opportunities for U.S. firms overseas and foreign firms in the United States," Covington said. In addition to his role as assistant secretary, Venkataraman served as director general of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the International Trade Administration. Prior to joining the Commerce Department, he worked at Visa as the senior director for global government engagement and at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative as director for India.
An Aug. 5 survey from the National Foreign Trade Council reveals concern among importers that current U.S. tariff policies are causing supply chain disruptions, inflating costs, and delaying planned projects.