After President Trump issued an announcement on January 26, and his first executive order on February 1, regarding the imposition of tariffs for several countries, there were also necessary updates made soon after to reflect changes as a result of quick negotiations with Colombia, Mexico and Canada. The United States and Colombia reached an agreement even before tariffs were put in place for that country, while tariffs for Mexico and Canada were delayed for 30 days, or until March 4.
The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (“NCBFAA”) published an article on February 24 summarizing the events that have taken place, and stating the current state of affairs for goods from China, Canada and Mexico, as wells as tariffs on certain steel and aluminum products from all countries, and a current U.S. investigation to determine reciprocal tariffs for individual countries.
The United States is not the only country that has placed sanctions on Chinese goods. The Government of Canada issued a Customs Notice on September 27, 2024 introducing a surtax of 100% of the value for duty on Chinese originating electric vehicles effective October 1, 2024, and including electric and hybrid passenger automobiles, trucks, buses, and delivery vans. For specific information please review the Canadian Customs Notice.
Tariffs have also been imposed on Chinese goods by the European Union on Electric Vehicles and E-bikes, the United Kingdom on non-folding E-bikes although these anti-dumping and countervailing measures have been recently removed, India on semiconductors, Turkey on Electric Vehicles, and Vietnam on automobiles.
As negotiations go on between countries, the current situation can change in a moment’s notice. Supply chains face challenging times, and they must remain well informed and up to date because of the financial implications at stake.
