Update on New Tariffs by the Trump Administration Announced on April 2,2025

/in , /by

“Liberation Day” has come and gone and global trade looks a lot different now.   What happened on April 2nd was a day that shocked the world.   The full scope and how the tariffs will be implemented has not been finalized by U.S. Customs.    The Government is still working on it.   We expect to see a message giving guidance on Friday since the baseline tariffs go into effect on Saturday at 12:01 AM.

Here is information that we know as of the end of the day on Thursday April 4th.

Wednesday afternoon after the financial markets closed in the United States, The Trump Administration announced two categories of sweeping reciprocal tariffs affecting nearly all countries and products.

New Reciprocal Tariffs (full executive order can be found here)

  • 10% Baseline Tariff that applies to almost all imports to the U.S. with some exclusions. This will go into effect April 5, 2025, at 12:01am ET.
  • Reciprocal Country-Specific Tariffs: Higher tariffs on imports from specific countries. These are listed on Annex 1. You can read the specific countries and rates here.

These will go into effect April 9, 2025, at 12:01am ET.

  • Exclusions from above tariffs include
  • Items already covered under Section 232: steel, aluminum, automobiles, and auto parts
  • Food, medicine, and humanitarian goods (per 50 USC 1702(b))
  • Copper, semiconductors, lumber
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Precious metals
  • Energy and critical minerals not available in the U.S.
  • Canada and Mexico remain unchanged
  • USMCA-compliant goods: 0% tariff
  • Non-USMCA goods: 25% tariff
  • Non-USMCA energy/potash: 10% tariff

See the list of tariff numbers on Annex II Annex II

The effective date of these tariffs is as follows:  Goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 5, 2025, and entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 5, 2025, shall not be subject to the additional 10%  duty. Goods must be loaded AND in transit to be relieved of the duties going into effect on April 5th and April 9th.   Air shipments do not have any transit exception.     If the plane lands on April 5th the base line tariffs are in effect for all countries.

*The Executive Order does not explicitly state whether, on April 9, the enhanced reciprocal tariff rates will be added to the baseline 10% rate OR will instead replace the baseline 10% rate. Additional clarification from the Administration will be necessary.

**Importers should take note that Annex II states that “the formal language in Annex III governs the tariff treatment of products covered by the action,” even though no Annex III is referenced in the Order and no Annex III has been otherwise posted or published.

Friday will hopefully give us more clarity on what the Government is doing.

Due to the huge increase in duties from most of our major trading partners Thunderbolt Global Logistics will require that all customs duties over $15,000.00 will need to be paid 5 days prior to arrival for sea shipments.  Alternatively, importers can pay their duties direct to U.S. Customs. More on this new policy will be forthcoming soon.

If you have any questions, please contact compliance@thunderboltglobal.com

Thank you very much.

Jim Shapiro