The US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico were removed today. A little more than a year after being imposed, the 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent tariff on aluminum was withdrawn. In an announcement on Friday, May 17th, the Canadian government announced that both countries would prevent the […]
Trade Alerts
Fourth Round of Section 301 Tranche 1 Exclusions Published
On May 14, 2019, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published the fourth round of products excluded from the 25 percent duty on goods subject to tranche 1 of the Section 301 tariffs. The product exclusions cover HTSUS Chapters 84, 85, and 90. These exclusions will have a backdated effective date of July 6, 2018, […]
USTR Proposes Section 301 Tariffs on Remaining Chinese Imports
On May 13, 2019, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published a Federal Register notice to begin the process of raising tariffs on the remaining imported Chinese products that are not already subject to Section 301. The proposed action will subject approximately $300 billion of Chinese imported goods to duty of up to […]
Section 301 Tariffs on $200B of Chinese Goods Increased to 25%
The White House published its official notice that the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods have increased as of May 10th. Tariffs on the third tranche of Chinese goods, valued at $200 billion, have increased from 10% to 25%. The tight deadline for implementation of the increased duties caused confusion. Additionally, the notice published in […]
Longshore Workers in BC to Vote on Strike
Following 17 months of unproductive labor negotiations, unionized longshore workers in British Columbia, represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in Canada, are voting on whether they will strike. The vote will take place on Wednesday, May 8th and Thursday, May 9th, and a strike could occur after the group provides 72 hours […]
Third Tranche of Section 301 Tariffs on Chinese Goods May Increase to 25%
On May 5th, President Trump indicated via Twitter that the third tranche of Chinese goods subject to Section 301 tariffs may increase from 10% to 25% on Friday, May 10th. The third tranche represents $200 billion of imported goods. Additionally, the President stated the remaining $325 billion worth of untaxed goods from China will incur […]
USTR Proposes Section 301 Duties on Civil Aviation Goods from the EU
For 14 years, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has tried to persuade the EU—specifically France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom—to stop subsidizing Airbus. As a countermeasure, the USTR has begun its process under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to “identify products of the EU to which additional duties may be […]
Increased Dwell Times for Montreal & Halifax Inbound Freight
Currently, shippers are experiencing delays in the movement of their freight into the Ports of Montreal and Halifax. Several factors are contributing to the delays, such as congestion, increased on-dock dwell times, and driver shortages. The ports have provided these metrics: Montreal: Published average dwell time is 5.5 days during March, but containers have waited […]
CBSA Extends Deadline for Processing CFIA-Regulated Entries in Legacy System
Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is moving to its Single Window Initiative and will begin decommissioning their legacy system on April 1st. In a March 29th notice, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) said they will not “reduce the service hours for manually processing import declarations transmitted” through the legacy service options “at this time.” […]
China Lowers Value-Added Tax (VAT) for Manufacturing and Other Sectors
Amid a slowing economy, the Chinese government will lower its value-added tax (VAT) effective April 1, 2019. Few news sources have reported the shift. However, a news alert published by Dezan Shira & Associates, an Asian foreign investment firm, reported the following changes as found in China’s annual Work Report: • manufacturing sector VAT will […]
