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US: Tariff Hike Targets China, 90-Day Reprieve for Others

By , , and 1 Min Read

Yesterday, President Trump announced a 90-day postponement of the individualized reciprocal tariffs for most countries (see our blog post on these tariffs here), with the notable exception of China. This decision comes amidst ongoing global trade tensions and aims to provide temporary relief to international trade partners. However, the baseline tariff of 10% for most countries worldwide, which took effect on April 5, 2025, remains in place without a specified end date. China had previously indicated…

EU: Highlights of EU Trade Commissioner’s announcement on future of EU-US trade

By , , and 4 Mins Read

Introduction Yesterday Commissioner MaroĆĄ Ć efčovič at the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade) held a press conference following the recent developments following Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tariffs Announcement (see our blog post on that topic here). Commissioner Ć efčovič addressed the current trade landscape between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), highlighting both the challenges and opportunities for strategic collaboration. The Impact of Tariffs on EU Exports Approximately €380 billion worth of EU exports to the US,…

Trump’s “Liberation Day” Tariffs Announced

By , , , , , , , and 3 Mins Read

At 4 PM EDT on April 2, 2025, President Trump announced his reciprocal tariffs on all imports into the United States. Importantly, goods from Canada and Mexico were excluded from additional duties. Other announced rates include: United Kingdom (10%), EU (20%), China (34%), Vietnam (46%), Taiwan (32%), South Africa (30%), Japan (24%), India (26%), South Korea (25%), and Brazil (10%). While the White House Fact Sheet and Executive Order have been released, official documents referenced…

EU imposes new retaliatory tariffs on US products

By , , , , , and 4 Mins Read

There is never a dull moment in the ongoing trade war. With effect of 12 March 2025, the US reinstated the June 2018 Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum products at a rate of 25% and extended these tariffs to a larger scope of steel and aluminum products (see our prior blog post on the US Section 232 tariffs here). On 12 March 2025, the EU announced countermeasures which shall protect European businesses and…

The impact of tariffs on the life sciences industry

By , , and 9 Mins Read

Import tariffs have become the priority trade issue since President Donald Trump took office on January 20, 2025, with a wide variety of measures announced and imposed. These tariffs have the potential to disrupt all industries; however, they pose unique challenges for the life sciences industry, in particular the pharmaceutical and medtech industry, whose products have typically not been subject to customs duty on cross-border movements. We have set out below i) a summary of…

Canada: How a Tariff War Sparked a ‘Buy Canadian’ Revolution

By , , and 7 Mins Read

In brief With the official declaration of the Canada- U.S. tariff war, Canadian consumer behavior has undergone a significant shift, sparking a renewed sense of patriotism and a robust “buy Canadian” movement. As tariffs are expected to drive up the cost of imported goods, Canadians are increasingly turning to domestically-produced products. To meet this growing demand, many companies are emphasizing the Canadian origin of their products through labeling and product claims. However, businesses must navigate…

President Trump Directs USTR to Investigate and Issue Recommendations (Including Potential Tariffs) in Response to Digital Services Taxes and Other Measures by US Trading Partners

By , and 3 Mins Read

President Trump issued a memorandum on February 21, 2025, directing the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) to make specific determinations regarding actions the administration may take in response to digital services taxes (“DSTs”) imposed by certain trading partners since 2019, as well as issue other recommendations to respond to trade and regulatory measures of other countries. The memorandum states that the Trump Administration’s policy shall be to impose tariffs and take other actions in response to…

Trump Announces Reciprocal Tariff Plan 

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President Trump issued a memorandum directing the US Trade Representative (“USTR”) and Secretary of Commerce to investigate alleged harm from non-reciprocal trade measures by trade partners and to issue recommendations based on their investigation.  The memorandum argues that a range of tariff and non-tariff measures maintained by various countries have contributed to unfair and unbalanced trade and harmed the United States.  Non-tariff measures specifically identified in the memorandum as being unfair and harmful to the United States include: The memorandum directs…

Round Two – Trump and Tariffs (Webinar) – February 20

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Baker McKenzie’s Global Customs Practice invites you to join us for a follow up webinar on “Trump and Tariffs: Section 232 Tariff Announcement, Reciprocal & Retaliatory Tariffs and More”This one-hour webinar will take place Thursday, 20 February 2025 at 10:00 CST / 11:00 EST / 17:00 CET.On February 10th President Trump announced that 25% tariffs will be imposed on all steel and aluminum products imported into the US from all countries, including Canada, Mexico, the EU and UK,…

Japan: Addition of Import Declaration Items and Establishment of Simplified Import Custom Clearance System for Small-lot Shipments

By and 3 Mins Read

The number of import permits has been increasing significantly over the past few years due to the expansion of cross-border electronic commerce. In the midst of this trend, many cases of smuggling of illicit drugs and intellectual property infringing goods have been detected, and cases of inappropriate importation of FS-used cargo (*) by impersonation and tax evasion by low value declarations have become apparent. In light of this background, the Customs and Excise Department will…