Washington, DC--

Today, President Trum announced reciprocal tariffs on other countries.  The tariffs were based on the rates charged by other countries and include a 10% ad val. "base rate."  The United States will assess a 50% "discounted reciprocal tariff" rate. 

For example, China tariff rate of 67% ad val. and the United States will assess a 34% duty rate.  The country with the highest duty rates is Sri Lanka with 88% and the discounted duty rate that the United States will apply is 44% ad val.  

NOTE: This News item has been updated to include all the Reciprocal Tariff Charts below:  Reciprocal Tariff Charts (04-02-25).pdf

Online --

On April 1, 2025, Thomson Reuters featured EMTC CEO, Marianne Rowden, in an article "More than tariffs: What's next for global trade?"

"The imposing of new tariffs may be getting all the attention, but it may be the first salvo in an ongoing quest to remake global trade in its entirety, touching on well-established historical global frameworks concerning finance, regulations, and security"

Read the article here.  Authored by Leonard Lee, Communications/Thomson Reuters

https://www.cbp.gov/about/contact/broker-listing

Businesses that may be required to hire a Customs Broker due to the potential termination of de minimis should confer with this list before engaging a broker.  The list is updated quarterly.

Washington, DC--

Today, EMTC submitted comments in response to CBP's NPRM on Entry of Low-Value Shipments which seeks to eliminate and change the requirements for importing goods duty-free under de minimis (19 U.S.C. sec. 1321). 

EMTC's comments focus on the fact that the proposed rule treats low-value shipments differently than of imports because it does not use a risk management approach to distinguishing between legitimate trade and counterfeit or fentanyl shipments.  Additionally, CBP's approach is out of alignment with international agreements, such as the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement and the WCO's Framework of Standards on Cross-Border E-Commerce and Technical Standards.

CBP's NPRM is proceeding in parallel to the President's Executive Orders eliminating de minimis for shipments from Canada (E.O.  14193 amended 14197), Mexico (E.O. 14194 amended 14198), and China (E.O. 14195)

Global Labor Rates: China is no longer a low-cost country - Logistics Management

This is not a current article but provides interesting graph on supply chain cost 

Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan Thomas, Office of Trade | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Tariff Changes and De Minimis Restrictions Disrupt Small Package Imports - Global Trade Magazine

E-Commerce | U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Read both articles for a balanced perspective 

1-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  What is “Packed” into Heading 3923?

11-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  Chapter 61: Let’s Do it Again…It’s All About the Knit Blouse

15-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  Classification of Heading 8508 Vacuum Cleaners

16-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  A Review of Required Info Pertaining to Headings 8519-8529

22-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  Seeing the Light: Optical Elements in Headings 9001-9005

23-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  Laminated Safety Glass: Windshields, Subheading 7007.21

24-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  Going with the Flow: Pipes, Tubes, and Hollow Profiles

29-Apr  1:30-2:30pm ET  Heading 8477: Machines for Working Rubber or Plastics

Washington, DC--

EMTC joined over 30 trade associations in a letter to USTR Jamieson Greer seeking to engage the Administration to revisit the United States' position on digital trade rules, which were pulled back during the Biden Administration.

These digital trade rules would facilitate cross-border data flows, prohibit data localization requirements, non-discrimination against U.S. digital products and services, discriminatory digital services tax, and protecting source code access by foreign governments.

Read the full letter here.

Trump Administration Proposes Steep Fees On Chinese Shipping And Operators Of Chinese-Built Vessels | Seward & Kissel LLP - JDSupra