Hosford International

Steel & Aluminum Tariifs begin March 12, 2025

The Commerce Department announced yesterday that they are ready to collect these tariffs of 12:01 a.m. EDT, March 12, 2025!

Steel and Steel Derivatives

• 25% Tariff Applies:
o Steel products (HTSUS 9903.81.87)
o Existing steel derivatives (HTSUS 9903.81.89)
o New steel derivatives in Chapter 73 (HTSUS 9903.81.90)
o New steel derivatives outside Chapter 73 (HTSUS 9903.81.91, based on steel content value)
• 0% Tariff (Exemption): "New" derivatives using U.S.-melted and poured steel.


Aluminum and Aluminum Derivatives

• 25% Tariff Applies:
o Aluminum products (HTSUS 9903.85.02)
o Existing aluminum derivatives (HTSUS 9903.85.04)
o New aluminum derivatives in Chapter 76 (HTSUS 9903.85.07)
o New aluminum derivatives outside Chapter 76 (HTSUS 9903.85.08, based on aluminum content value)
• 0% Tariff (Exemption): "New" derivatives using U.S.-smelted and cast aluminum.
• Special Note: Aluminum from Russia still faces a 200% duty.


For "new" steel and aluminum derivatives outside Chapters 73 and 76, the 25% tariff is based on the steel or aluminum content’s value, with its weight reported in kilograms.

If the metal value is less than the full item value, use two entry lines: one for non-metal, one for metal content (value and kg). If value or weight is unknown, the 25% tariff applies to the full item value on one line, simplifying the process but potentially increasing the duty cost.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the implementation of Phase VII of the Lacey Act provisions. APHIS is finalizing the associated declaration requirement required by Congress for plant and wood products. In this phase, declarations will be required for all remaining plant product Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes that are not 100-percent composite materials.
The Lacey Act is one of the most important conservation laws ever passed by Congress. Since Congress amended the Lacey Act in 2008, it has been illegal to import and trade in illegally harvested plants. This combats illegal logging and associated trade. APHIS was delegated responsibility enforcing the plant import declaration.
Requiring importers to affirmatively declare that their imports are legal means they must do their due diligence to ensure that what they are bringing in doesn’t adversely impact forests, thereby reducing the demand for illegally harvested wood and the products made from them. It puts legitimate business and industry on a level playing field ensuring that they cannot be undercut by unscrupulous actors who violate foreign logging laws or endangered species protections.
APHIS began enforcing the declaration requirement on April 1, 2009, and established a schedule for phasing in its implementation. During this phase-in, APHIS conducted extensive outreach with stakeholders and industry. APHIS has spoken at numerous trade events, answered questions from over 1,700 individuals, and published a formal announcement over a year ago, to give stakeholders plenty of time to prepare for this next phase of Lacey Act implementation.
If an importer imports items that contain plant products, but do not currently file a Lacey Act declaration, they likely will need to file under Phase VII. Phase VII includes the broadest range of items, items as varied as industrial or medicinal plants, handbags, plywood, laminated wood, tools, matches with natural wood stems, products of natural cork, products of bamboo and rattan, footwear and more. Plant and wood products included in past phases include timber, some furniture, essential oils, wood cases and trunks, and woodwind instruments and their parts and accessories.

Baltimore bridge collapses after powerless cargo ship rams into support column; 6 people are missing By LEA SKENEAssoociated Press

Hosford International will be attending this years National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) conference this week. The NCBFAA Annual Conference brings together over 500 of the nation's leading customs brokers, freight forwarders, and federal regulatory representatives to gain insights on industry developments and connect with colleagues.
We look forward using the information gained this week to better serve our clients.

It's now easier to email Hosford International

Ship congestion outside the biggest U.S. gateway for Asian imports remained elevated with the wait to offload containers lengthening to eight days, adding costs and complications for companies trying to stay well-stocked in an accelerating economy.

A total of 28 container ships were anchored awaiting entry into the neighboring ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, as of Sunday, compared with 26 a week earlier though still below a peak of 40 in early February, according to officials who monitor marine traffic in San Pedro Bay. Another 16 are scheduled to arrive over the next three days, with seven of those expected to drop anchor and join the queue.

The average wait for berth space climbed to 8 days, compared with 7.9 days a week earlier, according to the L.A. port. That’s about triple the average delay in November.
The backlog, which started to form in October, has been tough to clear because of shortages of both equipment and labor needed to handle an unrelenting wave of imports. March is typically one of the slowest months for inbound merchandise, but the influx of steel boxes this year show few signs of easing.

Exclusions from the Section 301 additional tariffs on imports from China for 99 medical care products needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic will expire March 31. President Biden has indicated that these and other Section 301 tariffs will remain in effect for the foreseeable future. Importers of affected products should therefore consider the following possible steps to mitigate the impact of the tariffs.

Shipping Dates

Importers may want to ship subject goods so they are entered into the U.S. prior to March 31 if possible. It should be noted, however, that doing so for goods shipped by sea is becoming increasingly challenging. There are currently dozens of container vessels waiting to unload at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where a surge in imports and a reduction in available labor due to COVID-related issues has resulted in severe congestion. As a result, newly-arriving ships may have to dock outside port limits, which would prevent importers from making formal entry for goods on those ships. Importers may therefore want to consider shipping to other U.S. ports or moving their goods via air cargo.

Exclusion Process

Affected companies may wish to urge members of Congress and the Biden administration to permanently extend existing tariff exclusions and reinstate the exclusion process. They may find support for this effort in a recent report from the International Trade Commission, which found that U.S. producers of COVID-19-related goods faced challenges in ramping up production to meet growing demand and that imports increased substantially as a result.

We have received many questions about our operations over the coming days and weeks. Thursday evening, the Governor of Pennsylvania ordered all non-life sustaining businesses be closed Thursday 8 PM. His office provided a list of those who were affected and those who were permitted to stay open. Hosford International is one which is allowed to physically remain open as we support Air, Ocean, Truck, and Water Transportation. We will remain open to serve our clients as long as we are permitted to do so. In the event that we are ordered to shut down, we have made arrangements for all our staff to work from remotely. While there will be disruptions in our schedules we will do our best to serve you in a way you have come to expect. Email will be the best way of communication, however phones will be transferred in the event you need to speak to us.

We wish you and your families good health, and we will get through this together.

To all of our clients and business partners:

Hosford International, Inc. is taking the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak seriously. As you may know, the PA Governor and Erie County has mandated that all non-essential businesses to close their physical locations and implement alternative work strategies. As we continue to monitor the global outbreak, I wanted to assure you that our office is adhering to the guidance provided by the federal, state, and local authorities.

Our focus has been first and foremost on the health and safety of our staff, clients and business partners. Our office is postponing all face-to-face meetings, we are available by phone or email and we are open to serve you. Our staff may at times be working remotely with secure access and with occasionally have office hours during this time.

We understand that this time of uncertainty may make many of us nervous, but please be assured your shipments will be handled with the care and professionalism you have come to expect from Hosford International. Rest assured, we are taking every measure possible to provide seamless continuity in our service to you. During any time where our office is working remotely, our phones will be transferred to mobile devices so that you can contact us if necessary. Of course, we will continue with email as normal.



Please be safe during this time and we wish you and your families good health.

Today it was announced that of List 4 tariffs are going to be implemented on Sept 1st at a 10% tariff. The list of affected products are linked below.

https://www.strtrade.com/assets/htmldocuments/USTR%20301%20Proposed%20List%204.pdf?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT1Rkak9EUTRaVEZqWmpCaCIsInQiOiJXRDFHYkM5dWp6R2h2RzVjNWlKdHFOM3V4czAya1pEK2ZaSW1ObjY2cW1iMHVSUGFra1d0Q1psaVV0dU56Q05ZdnI0bnUrSGJOMnpHb0dSQWtHeTVXUWZwWlk3ZStHSUZqbUxScU1aWGh3TXBcL0xhbFwvcXpRUGc3UjZyNXl6SDQ3In0%3D

www.strtrade.com

Tariffs on All Imports from Mexico to Begin June 10
On the evening of May 30, in an effort to push Mexico to address immigration issues, the White House announced that a 5% tariff will be imposed on goods from Mexico effective June 10. If Mexico's response is not deemed sufficient, tariffs will be increased according to the following schedule:

10% on July 1;
15% on August 1;
20% on September 1;
25% on October 1.
Rates will remain at 25% thereafter until Mexico "substantially stops the illegal inflow of aliens coming in through its territory.

Increase in Section 301 Duties Scheduled for May 10

On May 9, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is scheduled to publish a modification to the Section 301 Tariffs increasing the duty rate on the products covered in the September 2018 Federal Register Notice from the current rate of 10% to 25%. According to the notice, these changes are scheduled to take effect on May 10. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has updated the their systems to include these changes for any entries scheduled for May 10 onwards.

This modification is a result of what the USTR calls a "lack of progress in the additional rounds of negotiations [with China] since March 2019" and after a May 5 tweet from President Trump where he states that "the Trade Deal with China continues, but too slowly, as they attempt to renegotiate."

We will continue to monitor the situation and keep you informed when new information arises.

LTL carrier New England Motor Freight to shut down after filing for bankruptcy protection Carrier succumbs to the harsh realities of present-day trucking.

So much has changed over our 50+ year history so we figured an update to our company logo was needed. We are proud to announce the new Logo for Hosford International!

Whether you import or export; ship air or ocean...or anything in between, let Hosford International be your source for your International Shipping needs.

Earlier this week President Trump announce the increased tariffs which were expected to jump to 25% on Jan 1st, will be held off for at least 90 days.

The US Trade Representative Office has issues list 3 that will go into effect on September 24th. Tariffs will be an additional 10%. Beginning January 1, 2019 they will increase to 25%. The list of affected items are attached https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/301Investigations/Tariff%20List_09.17.18.pdf

ustr.gov

A great start to the week when you can visit a client and watch the unloading of the largest shipment in the Port of Erie’s history!