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The President issued an Executive Order on April 9, 2025 aimed at “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.” The order covers numerous topics including a Maritime Action Plan, Ensuring Security and Resilience, PRC’s unfair actions, and other topics.
One key topic addresses the enforcement/collection of HMF (Harbor Maintenance Fees) and other charges. Historically, HMF was payable on all entries of goods by ocean mode of transport at US ports (including inland ports where cargo imported at a sea port and moved in bond inland). Cargo routed through Canada and Mexico and entered by land borders were not assessed the HMF fees. The executive order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to take steps to collect HMF and any other fees etc. PLUS a 10% service fee for cargo first arriving in Canada or Mexico by vessel.
Another key issue addressed is the “Targeted and Phased Action to Reverse Chinese Dominance and to Restore American Shipbuilding.” These actions will occur in two phases. For the first 180 days, applicable fees will be set to zero. After 180 days:
• Fees on vessel owners and operators of China based on net tonnage per U.S. voyage, increasing incrementally over the following years - the fee would start at $50/NT in 180 days and increases by $30/NT per year over the next three years;
• Fees on operators of Chinese-built ships based on net tonnage or containers, increasing incrementally over the following years - the fee would start at $18/NT or $120 per container in 180 days, and would increase by $5/NT per year, or the same proportional yearly amount per container (e.g., in year 2, to $154 per container), over the next three years; and
• To incentivize U.S.-built car carrier vessels, fees on foreign-built car carrier vessels based on their capacity - the fee would start at $150 per Car Equivalent Unit (CEU) capacity of the entering non-U.S. built vessel in 180 days.
To read all related documents, check out the links below.
The President has signed an executive order on September 5. This order provides an updated version of Annex II to Executive Order 14257.
New additions to Annex II are in 9 Chapters of the HTSUS. The chapters are 25, 26, 28, 29, 47, 71, 72, 75, and 85. The full list can be reviewed by clicking on the excecutive order link below.
Also, there were some items that were removed from Annex II and will now be subject to reciprocal tariffs. These HTS include 2818.30.00, 3824.99.93, 3907.29.00, 3907.30.00, 3907.61.00, 3907.69.00, 3907.99.50, and 3910.00.00. These will all now be subject to reciprocal tariffs.
These changes took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern on September 8.
Click below to read more:
The President has signed an executive order on September 4. This order sets the parameters for the United States-Japan agreement.
In general, items will be subject to a baseline 15% duty rate on most items which are of Japanese origin. The order also states that “The tariffs set forth in subsection (a) of this section shall apply retroactively to products of Japan entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. ET on August 7, 2025.”
CBP has advised that Post Summary Corrections or Protests should not be filed until CBP has provided additional guidance through a CSMS message on how to process any corrections.
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The US Department of Commerce has posted for public inspection a Federal Register Notice that will be published in the Federal Register on August 19, 2025. This notice states that “BIS (Bureau of Industry and Security) is adding 407 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States codes to the list of products that will be considered as steel or aluminum derivative products.
Per the FRN, “The non-steel and non-aluminum content will remain subject to the reciprocal and other applicable tariffs.” It goes on to note “The complete list of HTSUS codes added to the Section 232 tariffs by today’s action is listed in the annexes to this notice.”
Finally, the notice indicates that “The duties set out in the annex for these additional steel and aluminum derivatives are effective for…products that are entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on August 18, 2025.
Click below to read more:
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