On January 27, 2021, Stavros Lambrinidis, the European Union’s ambassador to the United States, urged the Biden administration to lift Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum and work to find a resolution to the U.S.-EU aircraft subsidy dispute. The statement is the most recent in a chorus of comments calling for increased transatlantic cooperation.
EU Retaliatory Tariffs
EU Places Retaliatory Tariffs on $4 Billion in U.S. Goods
On November 9, 2020, the European Union announced the imposition of retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods worth approximately $4 billion stemming from the WTO case alleging the U.S. government has provided illegal subsidies to aircraft maker Boeing. High profile products targeted by the tariffs include fish, cheese, cotton, tractors, spirits, and jets. Of the products…
EU Retaliatory Tariffs: Preliminary List Proposed in Continuing Dispute with U.S. over Boeing/Airbus Subsidies.
By John Brew, Frances P. Hadfield & Cherie Walterman on
Views and Input Sought From Stakeholders by May 31, 2019.
The European Union (EU) has published its preliminary list of U.S. goods that will be targeted for retaliatory tariffs over subsidies to Boeing. The preliminary list is focused on farm products. Some of the products include: Fish, cheese, agricultural goods such as fruits and vegetables,…
Trump Administration Readies $11 Billion in Tariffs against EU and Schedules Section 301 Hearing in WTO Airbus Case
On April 8, 2019, the Trump administration released a list (see Annex) of $11 billion of European goods threatened with tariffs because of the WTO decision finding that “harmful subsidies” support the aircraft manufacturer Airbus. This case had been in litigation at the WTO for 14 years. It began in 2004 when the United States…
Latest U.S. Trade Actions/Tariffs and Other Countries Retaliatory Measures – Updated February 16, 2020
Last Updated February 16, 2021: UAE tariffs and Section 301 Large Aircraft Dispute.
U.S. Trade Actions
| Action | Covered Products | Rate Increase | Effective Date | |
| Section 232 | Steel and Aluminum | Steel – 25% Aluminum – 10% |
6/1/2018
Derivative Articles – 2/8/2020 |
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| Status: | Steel – all countries of origin except Canada (exempted), Mexico (exempted), South Korea, Brazil, and Argentina (agreed to quotas); and Australia (exempted).
Derivative Steel Articles – imports from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and South Korea are exempted. Aluminum – all countries of origin except Canada (exempted), Mexico (exempted), Argentina (agreed to quotas); and Australia (exempted). Derivative Aluminum Articles – imports from Argentina, Australia, Canada, and Mexico are exempted. On October 24, South Africa was granted exemptions on 161 aluminum and 36 steel products by the Commerce Department. Canada and Mexico exempted on 5/20/2019. A quota agreement was reached with the UAE by the Trump administration, effective February 3, 2021. However, this agreement was revoked by the Biden administration. |
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| Section 301 | Large Civil Aircraft | See below | 2/11/2021 | |
| On January 12, 2021, the Trump Administration released a new set of tariffs against the EU.
On February 11, 2021, the Biden Administration decided not to increase tariffs against the European Union. |
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| Section 301 – China | For the final list of products in List 1, please click here.
For the final list of products in List 2, please click here. For the final list of products in List 3, please click here. For a list of products in List 4A, please click here. See Annex A. For a list of products in List 4B, please click here. See Annex C. |
25%
30% 25% 30%
25% 30%
15% |
7/6/2018
Indefinitely Delayed 8/23/2018 Indefinitely Delayed
5/10/2019 Indefinitely Delayed 2/14/2020 Indefinitely Delayed |
|
| Status: | List 1 totaling $34 billion worth of imports is composed of 818 tariff lines, and went into effect on 7/6/2018.
List 2 totaling $16 billion worth of imports was originally composed of 284 proposed tariff lines identified by the interagency Section 301 Committee. 279 of the 284 lines went into effect on 8/23/2018. For full details on List 2, please click here. List 3 totaling approximately $200 billion of imports was originally composed of 6,031 tariff lines. 5,745 full and partial lines went into effect on 9/24/2018. For full details on List 3, please click here. On May 10, 2019, List 3 tariffs increased to 25 percent (see here for on-water exception). |
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Retaliatory Actions
| Canada | For covered products, please click here. | Table 1 – 25% Table 2 – 10% Table 3 – 10% |
(as of 5/20/2019) |
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| Status: | The Canadian government received over 1,000 submissions of public feedback during public consultations on its original list.
Canada is imposing countermeasures against C$16.6 billion in imports of steel, aluminum, and other products from the U.S., representing the value of 2017 Canadian exports affected by the U.S. tariffs. |
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| EU | For covered products, please click here. | Annex I – 10% or 25% Annex II – 10% – 50% |
Annex I – 6/22/2018 Annex II – 3/23/2021 or 5th day after WTO Dispute Settlement Body rules against the U.S. action, whichever is first. |
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| Status: | For the latest status, please click here. | ||||
| EU | Large Civil Aircraft | Annex I – 15% Annex II – 25% |
11/10/2020 | ||
| Status: | For the latest status, please click here. | ||||
| Mexico | For the translated list of covered products, please click here. | 7% – 25% (pages 1-4)
10% – 15% (page 5) |
(as of 5/20/2019) |
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| Status: | Most retaliatory measures effective as of 6/5/2018. An “exception” list is effective on 7/5/2018. | ||||
| China (Response to Section 232 Tariffs) | For covered products, please click here. | Annex I – 15% – 25% | 4/3/2018 | ||
| Status: | See above. | ||||
| China (Response to Section 301 Tariffs) | For covered products in List 1, please click here.
(Unofficial Version) |
25% (No Change on June 1st – 28 lines of auto and auto part products on this list will be excluded) | 7/6/2018 | ||
| For covered products in List 2, please click here.(Unofficial Version) | 25% (No Change on June 1st – 116 lines of auto and auto part products on this list will be excluded) | 8/23/2018 | |||
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For covered products in List 3, please click here. (Unofficial Version) Additional Tariffs Announced on August 23, 2019 |
Annex 1 – increased from 10% to 25% on June 1st, 2019
Annex 2 – increased from 10% to 20% on June 1st, 2019 Annex 3 – increased from 5% to 10% on June 1st, 2019 Annex 4 – remains 5% (No Change on June 1st – 67 lines of auto and auto part products on this list will be excluded) China cuts certain tariffs |
6/1/2019 for Annexes 1, 2, and 3
9/24/2018 (Annex 4) September 1, 2019 December 15, 2019 (Indefinitely Delayed) February 14, 2019 |
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| Status: | List 1 is composed of 545 tariff lines, and goes into effect on 7/6/2018.
List 2 contains 333 tariff lines on U.S. goods worth $16 billion. Start date is 8/23/2018. List 3 contains 5,207 tariff lines on U.S. worth $60 billion. Start date is 9/24/2018. The September 1 and December 15, 2019 increases represent an additional $75 billion of tariffs on U.S. goods. |
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| India | For covered products, please click here. | Up to $10.6 billion; Annex I – 5% – 100% |
1/31/2019 | ||
| Status: | The U.S. declined India’s request for WTO consultations. | ||||
| Japan | For covered products, please click here. | Up to $1.91 billion | TBD – no earlier than March 23, 2021, or the 5th day following the date of a decision from the WTO DSB, whichever comes first. | ||
| Status: | No update since May 18, 2018. Ambassador Lighthizer is holding trade talks with Economy Minister Motegi in July. Under Secretary McKinney is also leading a trade mission to Japan to discuss a possible bilateral trade deal. | ||||
| Russia | For covered products, please click here. | Additional Tariffs of 25, 30, 35, or 40% | 8/6/2018 | ||
| Status: | On August 6, 2018, Russia began imposing additional tariffs on selected U.S. products. | ||||
| Turkey | For covered products, please click here. | Up to $1.78 billion; Annex I – 5% – 40%Increased certain duties by 4 to 140% |
6/21/2018 8/15/2018 |
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| Status: | |||||
June 22, 2018 – EU Retaliation Tariffs Begin – Apparel and Fashion Affected
By John Brew & Frances P. Hadfield on
Posted in Customs, EU Retaliatory Tariffs
Beginning on Friday, June 22, 2018, US exports to the European Union will face an extra duty at their border. These products include U.S. steel and aluminum products, agricultural goods, and a combination of various other products. The full list is available here. The various products include the following fashion and apparel articles, which…
EU’s Section 232 Retaliation Tariffs Expected to Start in July
By Edward Goetz & Charles De Jager on
On June 6, the European Commission (Commission) issued a press release stating, “The College of Commissioners endorsed today the decision to impose additional duties on the full list of US products notified to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), as part of the EU’s response to the US tariffs on steel and aluminium products.”
The release…