Importers of steel and aluminum from Canada and Mexico no longer need to report HTS numbers 9903.80.01 or 9903.85.01 now that the Section 232 tariffs have been lifted from Mexico and Canada, CBP said in a CSMS message. "Effective for goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on May 20, 2019, the Section 232 duty on imports of steel and aluminum articles with a country of origin of Canada or Mexico will no longer be in effect," the agency said. Steel importers should report the regular Chapter 72 or 73 subheadings, while aluminum importers should report the regular Chapter 76 numbers, CBP said. Both Canada and Mexico also annunced an end their retaliatory tariffs (see 1905200054).
The Trump administration tried for months to insist that Mexico and Canada accept quotas on their steel and aluminum, and the fact that the administration lifted its tariffs on those metals on its NAFTA partners without any import restrictions shows "just how much the Administration has invested in passage of the USMCA," wrote Ted Murphy, managing partner of the Baker McKenzie office, in a blog post.
The Coalition for GSP criticized Turkey’s removal from the Generalized System of Preferences program in a statement following the White House's May 16 announcement, saying the move will impose “tens of million of dollars in taxes annually.” President Donald Trump said Turkey no longer qualifies as a developing country, which means Turkey will also be subject to Section 201 safeguards on solar cells and washing machines. The removal of Turkey from GSP takes effect May 17. In a separate proclamation, the White House announced that the 50 percent Section 232 tariff on Turkish steel in place since August will return to 25 percent on May 21
Even though President Donald Trump did not impose any tariffs on imported cars or auto parts, and said he would give trade negotiations with Europe and Japan 180 days before imposing any restrictions, many in Congress and industry responded with dismay.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation saying that he may take action under Section 232 to restrict auto and auto part imports if negotiations with the European Union and Japan don't make way for higher sales for American carmakers.
President Donald Trump said May 17 said the U.S. has also reached an agreement with Mexico to drop U.S. Section 232 tariffs. The Mexican government issued a statement that said it would be lifting all its retaliatory tariffs in response. Mexico had targeted U.S. pork, dairy and metals. Mexican President Andres Lopez Obrador noted in the statement that this agreement will allow the countries to move forward with ratifying the new NAFTA, which is known in that country as the Treaty between Mexico, the United States and Canada, or T-MEC, for the Spanish acronym. The Mexican statement did not say how quickly the tariffs and retaliatory tariffs would be lifted. A joint statement from Canada and the U.S. said tariffs would end under a similar agreement within 48 hours.
Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico are going away, the U.S. said May 17. They will be lifted from Canadian imports within 48 hours, but the Mexican government has not indicated timing for the relief there, and the Commerce Department did not respond to an inquiry by press time. Canada and Mexico will lift their retaliatory tariffs, which hit U.S. prepared food, agriculture and metals, at the same time the U.S. tariffs end.
The 25 percent Section 232 tariffs on Canadian steel and the 10 percent tariffs on aluminum will be removed within 48 hours, Canada and the U.S. said May 17. When the metals tariffs are removed, Canada will also roll back its retaliatory tariffs, which hit American metals and agriculture, as well as some prepared food. The joint statement said stricter customs enforcement to prevent transshipment will be coordinated between Canada and the U.S.
Turkish exports are no longer eligible for the Generalized System of Preferences, and Turkish solar cells and residential washers are also now subject to safeguard tariffs. The changes took effect May 17.
CBP has responded to fast-moving developments in international trade with predictability and transparency, said Brenda Smith, CBP executive assistant commissioner-trade, while speaking May 16 at a U.S. Chamber of Commerce event. With the Section 301 tariffs and other trade remedies, the agency has given the trade community the necessary information "as quickly as we can provide it," Smith said. "Just last week, in response to a setback in the ongoing U.S.-China trade talks, CBP responded rapidly to the 15 percent increase in China 301 duties. We consulted closely with USTR and the International Trade Commission to streamline the operational impact of the administration's policy goals, provided guidance to CBP field employees and the trade community and expedited programming changes" to ACE "to ensure that trade continued to flow."