On September 4, President Trump issued an executive order to implement a trade agreement recently reached between the United States and Japan. The executive order memorializes a trade agreement announced by President Trump in July and provides some additional details on the terms of the agreement. The agreement introduces a general tariff framework where a baseline 15% tariff will apply to nearly all Japanese imports. If a product’s existing tariff is less than 15%, it…
On August 29, the Government of Canada issued the Order Amending and Repealing Certain Orders Made Under the Customs Tariff (United States Surtax) (Order), which repeals the application of Canada’s 25% retaliatory surtax (Surtax) to numerous U.S. origin goods, effective September 1. Key takeaways for importers: Background The Order amends Canada’s three existing surtax orders, which have authorized a 25% retaliatory tariff on numerous U.S. origin goods since March and April 2025: United States Surtax Order…
Canada announced further protections for its domestic steel industry, expanding the application of a 50% surtax on certain steel goods initially implemented on June 27, 2025 (Steel Surtax) and introducing a 25% surtax on all imported steel products (with the exception of the US) that contain steel melted and poured in China. The Steel Surtax was introduced following a public consultation to address the risk of steel trade diversion from third countries to the Canadian…
The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced the formation of the Market, Government, and Consumer Fraud Unit (MGCF Unit). The MGCF will reportedly sit within the DOJâs Fraud Section. Although the details of the MGCF Unitâs precise remit are still forthcoming, we expect the MGCF Unit will be empowered to pursue criminal investigations and prosecutions of tariff evasion techniques such as misclassifying or undervaluing goods, as well as transshipping goods to a different country and…
As mentioned in our US customs teamâs blog post, on July 10, US President Trump announced 35% tariffs on imports from Canada. The new tariffs are scheduled to commence on August 1. Current US tariffs on Canada include 25% tariffs on Canadian origin goods excluding US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) qualifying goods, 10% tariffs on energy products and potash, 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum goods and derivative products, and 25% tariffs on automobiles and parts. The…
As mentioned in our US customs teamâs blog post, on July 12, US President Trump announced 30% tariffs on the E.U. and Mexico, now due to come into effect on August 1. This post focuses on the EUâs response. On 15 April 2025, the European Commission formalized a 90-day suspension of additional tariffs on certain U.S.-originating products. These measures were part of the EUâs broader rebalancing strategy in response to the United Statesâ Section 232 tariffs…
In a move that has shifted global attention back to tariffs, U.S. President Donald Trump recently proposed a flat tariff increase on all imports from several countries, including 30% on South African exports to the U.S.. These U.S. actions were reported on our blog earlier this week here and here. This blog post focuses on the South African governmentâs response. A Rebuttal President Cyril Ramaphosa has publicly opposed the tariffs, describing them as âunilateralâ and based on a…
The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued its bi-annual update to its trade verification priorities this week. These priorities provide notice to Canadian importers of the goods and customs programs which will be targeted by CBSAâs compliance crosshairs throughout the remainder of 2025. Several goods remain subject to the CBSAâs 2025 trade verification priorities for their 2nd, 3rd and 4th round. While the verification priorities under tariff classification and origin announced in January remain static, the CBSA has not…
On July 9, President Trump took to social media to announce updated tariffs targeting eight countries, which will come into effect on August 1. The news follows the announcement two days earlier of revised tariffs against 14 countries and the extension of the postponement of country-specific reciprocal tariffs, until August 1. The revised tariff rates range from 20% to 50%. As with the previously announced duties, the updated rates include hikes for some countries as…
At the Annual Compliance conference recently held in London, Baker McKenzie hosted its session on âGeopolitics, Trade Disruption and Tariff Wars: Developing a Global Business Strategyâ. The panel, chaired by Tristan Grimmer, featured speakers from our team across the globe, and explored the evolving landscape and its implications for international commerce. Rod Hunter, based in our Washington D.C. office, opened with an overview of the current U.S. Administrationâs trade policy, emphasizing its transactional, zero-sum approach…