On February 21, 2025, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced its proposed actions in response to an earlier determination finding that China was targeting the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance. This determination followed an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. This determination authorizes actions in response. USTR has proposed
Section 301 Investigations
President Trump Issues America First Investment Policy Memorandum Impacting FDI into the U.S. and Outbound Investment to Foreign Adversaries
On February 21, 2025, President Trump issued the America First Investment Policy Memorandum (“Memorandum”). The Memorandum aims to promote foreign direct investment (FDI) from “allies and partners” while restricting inbound investment from and outbound investment to “foreign adversaries,” such as China (including Hong Kong and Macau), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and the Nicolás Maduro…
President Trump Announces New Tariffs on Imported Steel and Aluminum Articles and Derivatives from All Countries with No Exemptions or Exclusions
UPDATE: On February 14, the Federal Register released the formal Presidential Proclamations on the steel and aluminum tariffs that include the annexes for each Proclamation that detail the list of in-scope steel or aluminum articles and derivatives that will be subject to the 25% ad valorem tariffs. The links in this post have been updated…
CBP Issues Notice and CSMS Messages Regarding Application of Additional Duties on China and Removal of De Minimis Exemption
By Scott E. Diamond** & David M. Schwartz on
UPDATE: On February 7, President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) addressing the additional duties placed on imports into the United States of products of China. The article below stated that use of duty-free de minimis treatment on imports for shipments under $800 was being removed for shipments from China. The president has since…
China Announces Retaliatory Tariffs and Other Trade Actions Against the U.S.
By Scott E. Diamond** & David M. Schwartz on
- Implementing a 15% tariff on U.S. coal and liquefied natural gas, and a
President Trump Initiates Tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China Under the IEEPA – Tariffs on Mexico and Canada Suspended until March 4 but Tariffs on China Start February 4
UPDATE: On February 7, President Donald Trump issued an executive order (EO) addressing the additional duties placed on imports into the United States of products of China. The article below stated that use of duty-free de minimis treatment on imports for shipments under $800 was being removed for shipments from China. The president has since…
President Trump Announces “America First Trade Policy”
- Directing the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Treasury and the U.S. Trade Representative to “investigate the causes of our country’s large and persistent
BIS Publishes Final Rule Prohibiting the Sale and Importation of Connected Vehicles with Sufficient Nexus to China and Russia
On January 16, 2025, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a final rule prohibiting the sale and importation of connected vehicles incorporating certain hardware and software components (or those components sold separately) with a sufficient nexus to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or Russia. The new prohibitions go into…
CBP Publishes Proposed Rule to Limit Duty Exemption for Certain Low-Value Shipments
On January 17, 2025, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) intended to tighten the de minimis duty exemption for certain low-value shipments entering the United States. Under the proposed rule, merchandise subject to specific trade and national security actions would no longer qualify for the de minimis exemption and…
USTR Releases Determination Finding that China’s Targeting of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors for Dominance Is Actionable Under Section 301
On January 16, 2025, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its report and findings in the Section 301 investigation of China’s targeting of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors for dominance, concluding that China’s targeted dominance in these sectors is unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce, and is thus “actionable” under…