Another busy month in international trade news – new tariffs, copper & lumber investigation, WTO disputes, and more. Here's the full roundup:
Administration
- On March 26, 2025, President Trump issued a Proclamation imposing a 25% tariff on automobiles and automobile parts imported into the U.S.
- On March 24, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order enabling the Secretary of State to impose 25% tariffs on imports from countries that import oil from Venezuela.
- On March 2, President Trump issued executive orders that postpone the removal of de minimis for Canada and Mexico.
- President Trump signed an executive order directing the Commerce Department to investigate whether the importation of lumber, wooden cabinets, wooden furniture and paper pose a threat to national security under Section 232.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- CBP released the February 2025 monthly update. Highlights:
- Identified $2.9 million in duties and fees owed.
- Stopped 1,024 shipments for further examination based on the suspected use of forced labor.
- Seized 1,815 shipments that contained counterfeit goods.
- CBP issued guidance on import duties on imports of steel and steel derivative products.
- CBP issued guidance on import duties on imports of aluminum and aluminum derivative products.
- CBP issued guidance on the additional tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico.
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
- OFAC issued an alert to raise awareness of recent terrorist designations of international cartels and the resulting sanctions and criminal liability risks for U.S. and foreign financial institutions and others with exposure to these cartels.
- OFAC announced the agency is taking action against seven high-ranking members of Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis for smuggling military-grade items and weapon systems into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
U.S. Department of Commerce
- Commerce published a federal register notice notifying the trade community that they must pay the 25% Section 232 tariff on aluminum and steel products classified outside of Chapter 72 (iron), 73 (steel) and 76 (aluminum) of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).
- Commerce published a federal register notice requesting public comments on the Section 232 national security investigation of copper imports.
- Commerce published a federal register notice requesting public comments on the Section 232 national security investigation of timber and lumber imports.
- Commerce released two federal register notices (steel, aluminum) detailing tariff subheadings to be used for the expanded Section 232 tariffs.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- The FDA has released summary data from mandatory registration of cosmetic product facilities and listing of cosmetic products under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA).
Department of Justice (DoJ)
- The U.S. filed a civil forfeiture complaint against aircraft used by Nicolás Maduro Moros in violation of U.S. sanctions and export control laws.
United States Trade Representative (USTR)
- USTR held a public hearing on March 11, 2025, regarding the Section 301 investigation on China's acts, policies, and practices related to targeting of the semiconductor industry for dominance.
- USTR released the 2025 Trade Policy Agenda and the 2024 Annual Report. The reports include President Trump's 2025 trade agenda, and a summary of current USTR initiatives including enforcement initiatives.
U.S. Department of Treasury
- The Treasury Department announced that the agency is suspending enforcement of the BOI requirements under the Corporate Transparency Act. The Act requires an estimated 30 million businesses to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) with the Treasury Department.
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
- President Trump fired the two democratic FTC Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter. The White House did not offer comment on the firings.
World Trade Organization (WTO)
- Canada has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States regarding new tariff measures applied by the United States on goods originating in Canada.
- China has submitted a revised request for dispute settlement consultations with the United States to address new US tariff measures applied on goods originating in China.
- WTO launched WTO Tariff & Trade Data, an online platform providing enhanced access to official tariff and trade figures for over 150 economies.
Industry News
- CMA CGM, the world's third-largest container shipping company, announced a $20 billion U.S. investment over four years, expanding its U.S.-flagged fleet, upgrading ports, and launching an air cargo hub in Chicago. This will create 10,000 jobs.
- Serina Baker-Hill, director of CBP's Automotive and Aerospace Center of Excellence and Expertise in Detroit, has been charged with defrauding the FEMA, making false statements to federal agents, and committing wire fraud.
- A BlackRock-led investment group reportedly will buy majority stakes in ports on both sides of the Panama canal for $22.8 billion.
- A federal court dismissed a lawsuit against Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Ansell Healthcare Products, which alleged that the companies knowingly benefited from forced labor.
International
- The EU said it plans to reinstate previously suspended tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum and introduce new countermeasures against US exports.
- Effective March 13, 2025, Canada is imposing 25% tariffs on $29.8 billion in products imported from the U.S.
Congress
- Three senators introduced a resolution that would end the emergency that President Trump declared on the northern border. If successful, the resolution would terminate the newly implemented tariffs on Canadian goods.
- House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Ranking Member Linda T. Sánchez introduced the Closing the De Minimis Loophole Act, which would Immediately end de minimis treatment for packages from China and phase out de minimis for all other countries after a four-month transition period.
- Senators Bill Cassidy and Catherine Cortez Masto introduced the Customs Facilitation Act of 2025. The bill aims to create a true single window for importers and reduce redundancies in advance export manifest data submissions.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
