Overview
- The U.S. Trade Representative announced final Section 301 measures on July 23, imposing 10% or 12.5% ad‑valorem duties on goods from roughly 60 trading partners that together account for about 99% of U.S. imports.
- India won placement in the lower 10% tier and says about 45% of its exports to the U.S. are exempt from the new duty, while New Delhi is pressing Washington for a textile concession as part of ongoing bilateral trade talks.
- The USTR ordered three‑year tariff‑rate quotas for Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia that would exempt specified apparel volumes if exporters use U.S. cotton and inputs, but that textile mechanism is not yet operational.
- Two U.S. small businesses filed suits in the U.S. Court of International Trade this week arguing the USTR failed to provide a reasoned, record‑based explanation for applying broad, country‑wide tariffs under Section 301.
- Economists say the duties largely formalize temporary levies so near‑term consumer price effects may be limited, but the measures can remain in place indefinitely and could deepen supply‑chain costs or invite further targeted probes.