On July 31, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order announcing that he was modifying and implementing the reciprocal tariff first announced on April 2, 2025, to rectify trade practices that his administration has determined contribute to “large and persistent annual United States goods trade deficits.” Effective August 7, 2025, reciprocal tariffs ranging from
Scott E. Diamond**
Scott is a senior policy advisor with more than 25 years' experience with the legislative and regulatory processes involved in international trade policy, remedies and enforcement. This includes working with clients on matters involving export controls, economic sanctions, human rights and forced labor compliance, corporate anti-boycott and antibribery compliance, national security investigations, and foreign direct investment in the United States.
**Not licensed to practice law.
Invoking IEEPA, President Trump Imposes an Additional 40% Tariff on Brazil
Following a threat posted on his social media site Truth Social in early July, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (“EO”) on July 30, 2025, imposing an additional 40% tariff on U.S. imports from Brazil, effective August 6, 2025. With the 10% baseline reciprocal tariff established by President Trump’s April 2, 2025 EO, tariffs…
President Suspends Duty-Free De Minimis Imports for All Countries and Imposes New Tariffs on Low-Value Shipments
On July 30, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order suspending duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value shipments. The President determined that suspending the duty-free status is necessary to address threats such as the flow of illicit drugs and large trade deficits and to ensure that tariffs are effective. The suspension applies to…
President Trump Announces 50% Tariff on U.S. Imports of Copper
Update: On July 31, 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released Cargo Systems Messaging Service (CSMS) # 65794272 providing guidance on applying the 50% Section 232 ad valorem duty on all imports of semi-finished copper products and intensive copper derivative products imposed by President Donald Trump on July 30, 2025. This guidance provides instructions on…
USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigation of Brazil’s Trading Practices
On July 15, 2025, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), at the direction of President Donald Trump, initiated an investigation of Brazil under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The investigation will seek to determine whether acts, policies, and practices of the government of Brazil related to digital trade and…
Trump Administration Initiates Section 232 Investigation into Imports of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and Seeks Public Comments
On July 1, 2025, the Department of Commerce initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, to determine the effects on the national security of imports of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and their parts and components. The Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) subsequently issued a Notice…
Trump Administration Initiates Section 232 Investigation into Imports of Polysilicon and Seeks Public Comments
On July 1, 2025, the Department of Commerce initiated an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, as amended, to determine the effects on the national security of imports of polysilicon and its derivatives (items considered to be critical solar energy inputs). The Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) subsequently issued a…
President Trump Orders Unwinding of 2020 Acquisition of U.S. Audio Visual Technology Company by Chinese Company
On July 11, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order directing that the February 2020 acquisition of Jupiter Systems, LLC of Delaware, and several of its foreign based subsidiaries (Jupiter), by Suirui International Co., Ltd. (Suirui), a Hong Kong/Chinese company, be unwound. Stating only that there is “credible evidence” Suirui might take action that threatens…
OFAC Continues to Extend Russia General License 13 Authorizing Transactions Ordinarily Incident and Necessary for Operations in Russia
On July 8, 2025, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) again extended previous Russia-related General License (GL) 13 by issuing a revised GL 13N, “Authorizing Certain Administrative Transactions Prohibited by Directive 4 under Executive Order 14024,” which states that U.S. persons are authorized to pay taxes, fees, or import…
President Trump Extends the Deadline for Implementing Reciprocal Tariffs
On July 7, 2025, based on “additional information and recommendation from various senior officials”, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order determining that it is “necessary and appropriate” to again extend the suspension on reciprocal tariffs originally implemented by an earlier Executive Order on April 2, 2025. The proposed reciprocal tariffs will be suspended until…
