On August 27, 2025, at 12:01 a.m. EDT, a new trade measure from the White House takes effect: imports from India will now face a total tariff of 50% when entering the United States. This includes: An additional 25% tariff announced on August 26, 2025, in response to India’s continued importation and resale of Russian Federation oil. The existing 25% tariff already applied under Executive … Read More
The End of U.S. Duty‑Free De Minimis
The White House has issued a sweeping executive order that eliminates the longstanding “de minimis” duty-free exemption for low-value imports, effective August 29, 2025. Under 19 U.S.C. §1321(a)(2)(C), shipments valued at $800 or less per person per day were previously allowed into the U.S. without duties or formal customs processing. CBP reports that the volume of de minimis shipments grew from 134 million in 2015 to more than 1.36 billion in 2024. However, … Read More
Reciprocal Tariffs: Current Details as of July 31
Although the reciprocal tariffs are slated to take effect on Aug. 1, the most up‑to‑date information comes from the July 31 announcement. Annex II of the executive order issued at that time lists each affected country and the percentage of additional duty that will be added to its existing Harmonized Tariff Schedule rate. For every country‑specific entry the order repeats the same conditions: the additional duty does not … Read More
U.S. Customs User Fees to Adjust on October 1, 2025
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced upcoming adjustments to select customs user fees, including changes to the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) for formal entries, effective October 1, 2025. These changes are being implemented in accordance with the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which authorizes annual inflation-based fee updates. What’s Changing? While the MPF ad valorem rate of 0.3464% will remain unchanged, … Read More
EU and USA Trade Pact Reignites Cross-Atlantic Supply Chains
July 31, 2025 | Trade & Logistics Update In a major breakthrough, the United States and European Union have reached a landmark agreement to suspend billions of dollars in retaliatory tariffs and establish a new cooperative trade framework. Announced over the weekend and formally introduced by President Trump on July 28, the deal is being hailed as a turning point in U.S.–EU trade relations, potentially … Read More
How U.S. Tariffs Quietly Crushed Peak Shipping Season
As August 1st approaches, it’s clear that this year’s peak season never truly arrived. Despite ocean carriers’ attempts to raise freight rates through a General Rate Increase (GRI), market conditions simply wouldn’t cooperate. Soft demand, shifting tariff timelines, and volatile policy swings under the so-called “TACO” strategy have upended traditional shipping cycles. Rates for August are now falling, not rising, and with booking volumes down … Read More
U.S. Seals Deals with Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines Ahead of August 1 Tariffs
With just days left until August 1st, when a new wave of U.S. tariffs is set to take effect, some countries have successfully struck deals with Washington to ease the impact on their exports. These agreements, along with retaliatory measures from the European Union and updates on negotiations with other key nations, signal major shifts for global supply chains. Here’s what you need to know: … Read More
Trump’s 30% Tariff Threat on EU and Mexico
On July 12, 2025, President Donald Trump announced plans to impose 30% tariffs on nearly all imports from the European Union and Mexico, with the measures scheduled to take effect on August 1. The announcement, made via Truth Social, marks one of the most aggressive trade moves in recent history and has triggered global concern, from diplomatic circles to financial markets. What’s Behind the Tariff … Read More
U.S. to Impose 35% Tariff on Canadian Goods
In a major escalation of trade tensions, President Trump announced that the United States will impose a 35% tariff on Canadian-origin goods starting August 1, 2025. The decision, shared via social media late on July 10, was justified by the administration as a response to several concerns: the flow of illicit fentanyl across the northern border, Canadian tariffs on U.S. dairy, and ongoing non-tariff trade … Read More
New Round of Country-Specific Tariff Letters Announced
With less than a month until new tariffs take effect, the U.S. has accelerated its rollout of country-specific reciprocal tariff letters, now reaching 22 countries in total. These tariffs are set to be enforced at 12:01 a.m. EDT on August 1, following the expiration of the current extension period. These tariffs fall under the country-specific reciprocal tariff framework, a policy intended to address long-standing trade … Read More