Trade Policy
Section 232 on robotics and industrial machinery: talks first, no new tariffs yet
A proclamation published Nov. 2 directs Commerce and USTR to negotiate with trading partners and report within 180 days. Tariffs, quotas, fees and an investment incentive stay on the table.
New proclamation drops 22 Canadian product lines from the 50% duty and adds 100 more
Proclamation 11076 took effect at 12:01 a.m. ET Oct. 30. Corrugated boxes and packing machinery come off the list. Cocoa powder, carpets, chest freezers and municipal waste go on.
USTR proposes to keep China ship fees suspended until January 9
The one-year pause on Section 301 port fees and related duties ends November 9. USTR wants two more months. Comments are due October 30.
US-Mexico tariff talks stall on steel and aluminum, and a Canada deal now looks set to wait until after the midterms
Reports this week indicate little chance of U.S. tariff relief for Mexico or Canada before the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections, leaving cross-border shippers and carriers facing more uncertainty.
US declines to renew USMCA at first joint review, triggering annual reviews
At the July 1, 2026, joint review, the United States would not confirm a 16-year extension, but the pact stays in force through 2036.
Supreme Court rules IEEPA does not authorize tariffs, striking down Canada, Mexico and 'reciprocal' duties
The 6-3 decision on Feb. 20, 2026, invalidated the emergency tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China and most other trading partners but left refunds unresolved.
US sets 10% baseline tariff, then pauses higher rates
President Donald J. Trump declared a trade emergency on April 2, 2025, imposing a 10% tariff on all countries; a week later, higher country rates were suspended except for China.
US exempts USMCA goods two days after tariffs hit
The White House said on March 6, 2025, that goods qualifying for USMCA preference would face no new tariffs, after duties on Canada and Mexico began March 4 and Canada retaliated.
Trump vows 25% tariff on all goods from Canada and Mexico
The president-elect said in November 2024 he would impose the tariffs on his first day in office and add 10% to tariffs on Chinese goods.
US moves to raise Section 301 tariffs on Chinese EVs, steel and cranes
After a four-year review in May 2024, the U.S. trade representative said existing China tariffs would stay and proposed steep increases in strategic sectors.
USMCA panel rules against US on auto rules of origin
A dispute panel sided with Mexico and Canada in January 2023, finding the U.S. reading of the trade pact's auto content rules inconsistent with the agreement.
US begins enforcing forced-labor import ban on goods tied to Xinjiang
From June 21, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection presumed that goods made wholly or partly in China's Xinjiang region were made with forced labor and barred them from entry.
First USMCA trade panel rules against Canada's dairy quota practices
In a December 2021 final report, a USMCA dispute panel found that Canada broke the agreement by reserving most of its dairy import quotas for processors.
Biden revokes Keystone XL permit on first day, straining US-Canada energy ties
President Joe Biden canceled the cross-border pipeline's permit within hours of his Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration, and Alberta's premier called it a blow to the U.S.-Canada trade relationship.