The following information taken in part from the NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.

On May 12th, the White House issued a statement that, by May 14th, the United States will modify the application of the additional ad valorem rate of duty on articles from China, including those from the Hong Kong and Macau Special Administrative Regions.

The statement said that both governments would be ‘moving forward in the spirit of mutual opening, continued communication, cooperation, and mutual respect,’ following the imposition of significant tariffs on numerous imported products by each side a month ago.

The Trump Administration, which called the agreement a ‘historic trade win for the United States,’ outlined in a May 12th fact sheet what both countries have agreed to do:

China will remove the retaliatory tariffs it has announced since April 4th, 2025, and will also suspend or eliminate the non-tariff countermeasures imposed on the U.S. since April 2nd, 2025, under Executive Order 14257.

• China will also suspend its initial 34% tariff on the U.S., announced in the April 4th, 2025 Executive Order 14257 , for 90 days, but will retain a 10% tariff during the suspension period.

The U.S. will remove the additional tariffs imposed under Executive Order 14259 of April 8, 2025, and Executive Order 14266 of April 9, 2025, but will retain all duties in place prior to April 2, 2025—including Section 301 tariffs, Section 232 tariffs, tariffs imposed in response to the fentanyl national emergency invoked under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and Most Favored Nation tariffs.

• The U.S. will suspend its 34% reciprocal tariff, imposed on April 2, 2025, for 90 days, but will retain a 10% tariff during the suspension period.
• The 10% tariff ‘continues to set a fair baseline that encourages domestic production, strengthens our supply chains, and ensures that American trade policy supports American workers first, instead of undercutting them,’ the Trump Administration stated.

Please note that, at this time, no guidance has been issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection or the White House regarding how this will be implemented. We are awaiting further instructions and will provide updates as they become available.

RIM logistics, ltd. will continue to closely monitor this evolving situation and provide updates as necessary. Please reach out to your RIM representative if you have any further questions.