Trump Administration Announces New Tariff Actions and Opportunities
This week, the Trump Administration announced a series of new trade actions, ranging from requesting feedback on imports from China, modifying Section 232 tariffs, initiating a new investigation into imports from Vietnam, and finalizing actions on imports from Brazil. Below is a brief breakdown of each announcement, which provides several opportunities for public comments. If you have direct feedback, please share that feedback with NMMA’s Clay Crabtree, Interim Vice President of Policy and Government Relations, to support the industry’s comments and engagement.
Vietnam 301 Investigation. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiated a new investigation under Section 301 concerning Vietnam’s actions and policies related to intellectual property protection and enforcement. This investigation is in addition to the current investigations USTR has opened into Vietnam – and dozens of other countries – into unfair industrial practices and forced labor practices. Comments on this investigation are due by July 2.
New Tariff Rates in Section 301 Forced Labor Investigation. USTR announced its findings in the Section 301 investigation on forced labor, resulting in proposed tariffs ranging from 10 percent to 12.5 percent on 60 countries’ imports into the U.S. Given that the Section 122 tariffs end next month, the new tariff rates could go into effect as early as July. USTR determined that 46 countries failed to impose or enforce prohibitions on goods produced with forced labor. The remaining 14 countries that have committed to prohibitions will only be subject to a 10% tariff. At the time of this publication, NMMA is still awaiting USTR’s countermeasures in its ongoing investigation into structural excess capacity. Comments on this investigation are due by July 6.
U.S. – China Board of Trade. Following President Trump’s visit to China last month, USTR is seeking public comment on the development of a new U.S.-China Board of Trade. Most importantly to marine manufacturers, USTR is inviting comments on the development of this new bilateral trade mechanism and “non-sensitive products that would benefit from favorable tariff modifications.” Comments are due by July 10, 2026.
Section 232. This week, President Trump made additional changes to the Section 232 actions for steel, aluminum, and copper. The administration expanded the list of products subject to the temporarily reduced 15% tariff rate to include agricultural equipment, HVAC, and other components, among other tariff changes. A fact sheet of the announcement and the Annexes with different HTS codes and tariff amounts can be found below.
Brazil 301 Investigation. The USTR proposed a 25% tariff on certain imports from Brazil into the U.S., following its investigation into several Brazilian policies and its effect on burdening or restricting access to Brazil’s market. Comments on the proposed findings are due to USTR by July 1.
To support potential NMMA comments and engagement with administration officials highlighting the potential impact additional tariffs could have on the U.S. marine industry, please contact NMMA’s Clay Crabtree, Interim Vice President of Public Policy & Government Relations, at [email protected].