The latest US tariff actions have rattled North American trade, but businesses that understand the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) have a significant advantage....more
3/11/2025
/ Automotive Industry ,
Compliance ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Manufacturers ,
Negotiations ,
Popular ,
Tariffs ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
In an unprecedented and highly fluid series of US trade announcements emanating from Washington, DC, the latest Executive Orders (EOs) announced this past Friday and this week’s EO on steel imports did little to calm c-suite...more
2/13/2025
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
National Security ,
Retaliatory Tariffs ,
Section 232 ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
As of this writing on February 3, the president’s long awaited new tariffs have been officially announced via Executive Orders (EOs) from the White House for Canada, Mexico, and China. They confirm media reports of new 25%...more
2/4/2025
/ Canada ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Mexico ,
Retaliation ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Policy ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
USTR ,
Valuation
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to assume office on January 20, numerous tariff proposals have already been put forward that could significantly impact the electric vehicle (EV) and battery supply chain industry....more
1/20/2025
/ Batteries ,
China ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Fair Trade Agreements (FTA) ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
National Security ,
Section 301 ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Negotiations ,
Trade Policy ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
The annual Battery Show and Electric Vehicle (EV) Technology Expo has become a must-attend event for the electric mobility industry. Now in its 14th year, the conference is billed as “North America’s largest advanced battery...more
Welcome to the September 2024 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and...more
9/17/2024
/ Aluminum Sales ,
Anti-Subsidies ,
Canada ,
Child Labor ,
China ,
Countervailing Duties ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
ECCNs ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Enforcement ,
Export Controls ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Forced Labor ,
Fraud ,
Imports ,
ITAR ,
Manufacturers ,
Popular ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Section 301 ,
Solar Panels ,
Steel Industry ,
Surtax ,
Tariffs ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies ,
USTR ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Whistleblowers
Following last week’s long-awaited report on the statutory four-year review of the Section 301 tariffs, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a Federal Register notice on the proposed...more
5/24/2024
/ China ,
Clean Energy ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Exclusions ,
Imports ,
Section 301 ,
Semiconductors ,
Solar Energy ,
Tariffs ,
US Trade Policies ,
USTR
Trade tensions between Washington and US trading partners, notably China, have complicated many supply chain decisions — what to buy, from where, made by whom, and at what tariff cost.
Recent statements from senior Biden...more
3/19/2024
/ Automotive Industry ,
Biden Administration ,
China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Geopolitical Risks ,
Imports ,
Manufacturers ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trucking Industry ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
This law requires many companies that do business in Canada to provide public annual reports on their efforts to eliminate the use of forced labor in their supply chains. Our summary of Canada’s legislation, including the...more
Application of US trade laws rely on the proper classification of the imported product. It triggers tariff preference benefits when properly applied, and enforcement scrutiny when not....more
If a picture is worth a thousand words, the “photo-op” of the president test driving Ford’s new electric F-150 in May of 2021 was the burning image that foretold the US policy direction for the electric mobility...more
1/26/2023
/ Automotive Industry ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Enforcement ,
Imports ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
Manufacturers ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)
In December 2021, Canada announced plans to impose a digital services tax, or DST. A few days later, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) expressed opposition indicating that if Ottawa were to pursue this plan,...more
Rising tensions between Washington and Beijing have had significant impacts on international trade in the form of US 301 Tariffs on a wide range of imports. In this episode, Birgit Matthiesen and Leah Scarpelli highlight what...more
In this installment of the Five Questions, Five Answers podcast, Director of North American Manufacturing Birgit Matthiesen, Partner Angela Santos, and Associate Christine Hintze discuss the impact of US Customs' crackdown on...more
In the first installment of the Five Questions, Five Answers podcast, Director of North American Manufacturing Birgit Matthiesen breaks down the First Sale Rule with Customs & Import Compliance Partner Angela Santos.
Today's...more
The USMCA permits CBP to verify whether a good entered with a claim for preferential tariff treatment qualifies as originating by: (1) Written request or questionnaire to the importer, exporter, or producer of the good...more
4/24/2020
/ Cross-Border Transactions ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Exports ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Imports ,
Mexico ,
NAFTA ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Preferences Rules ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
In an April 20, 2020 message to the trade community, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released the long-awaited United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) Interim Implementing Instructions (CBP Instructions). This...more
The USMCA textile and apparel rules of origin are generally based on the “yarn forward” rule, which requires the formation of the yarn (spinning or extruding) and all processes following yarn formation to occur in the USMCA...more
4/24/2020
/ Cross-Border Transactions ,
Exports ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Imports ,
Mexico ,
NAFTA ,
Origin ,
Tariffs ,
Textiles ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
Any importer who claims preferential tariff treatment under the Agreement for a good imported into the United States from a USMCA country must keep the following documentation for a period of no less than five years from date...more
The USMCA does not require the use of CBP Form 434, as there is no prescribed format for certificate of origins under the USMCA. These certifications are to be completed by the exporter, producer, or importer certifying that...more
4/24/2020
/ Certification Requirements ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
Exports ,
Foreign Relations ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Imports ,
Mexico ,
NAFTA ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
For those reading the tea leaves of US trade policy, an announcement earlier this week from the US International Trade Commission was an important development. On February 25, in a final decision, the ITC struck down attempts...more