U.S. vs China as a Global Trade Partner, Are We (U.S.) the Bad Guys?

us vs china

A quiet but significant power shift has been unfolding across Latin America. While the United States has long been the dominant economic and political influence in the region, its recent inward turn under the “America First” doctrine has created openings that China is eager to fill.

Terrified by Tariffs

Terrified by Tariffs

Terrified by Tariffs. Bob Brewer, VP Marketing and NBD for Braumiller Law Group sits down with Jim Holbein, Of Counsel. Braumiller Law Group to discuss the current landscape in tariffs and trade.

Coping with Tariffs

Tariff Coping

Coping with Tariffs. Bob Brewer, VP Marketing and NBD for Braumiller Law Group sits down with Jim Holbein, Of Counsel. Braumiller Law Group to discuss the current landscape in tariffs and trade.

Tit for Tat

tit for tat

The simple phrase “tit for tat” regarding a trade war with China is 125% on US goods entering China and 145% on Chinese goods entering the US. Tit for tat Is becoming as famous as it once was from a familiar Hollywood film, and in the “tit for tat”, Clarice, nobody thus far has eaten the others liver with a bottle of chianti and some fava beans. Yep! So far, so good, nobody’s made lamb chops either of little Ricky. Let’s all hope for the best. We are doing our best to navigate the challenges. Global trade compliance is what we do at Braumiller Law Group.

All Is Fair in Love and War, But Apparently Not Trade. Closing the Gap on Global Trade Deficits with the U.S. (A monumental task for a variety of reasons)

US Trade Deficits

As a broad stroke of tariffs are now levied against various countries to close the trade deficit gap, without truly examining the reason(s) for the imbalance, there will most likely be automatic retaliatory tariffs in a lose-lose situation. The White House stated that currently 50 countries are on the phone with the President, but that is hard to confirm. US consumers will ultimately pay the price, as well as SME’s.

Sheinbaum’s Response to Trump´s Tariffs and the Origin of the Goods

trump tariffs

On April 3, 2025, during the presidential daily morning briefing, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the import tariffs announced the day before by President Trump, which targeted several countries. She emphasized that, of all the nations affected by these new duties, Mexico was the least impacted. She attributed this to the strong bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. She also reiterated that, since Mexico does not impose tariffs on U.S. goods, it is unfair for the U.S. to impose tariffs on Mexican products.

USMCA – We Have Some Good News and Some Terrible News

usmca

As is well known the US has imposed duties of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico. This means that those imports will take the regular duty plus 25%. For example, a switchgear assembly classified under 8537.10.91 made in Canada or Mexico will take a duty of 2.7% plus the special tariff of 25% for a total rate of 27.7% of the value.

President Trump Restores Section 232 Tariffs

Section 232 Tariffs

On February 10, 2025, President Trump signed proclamations to reinstate the full 25% tariff on steel imports and increase tariffs on aluminum imports to 25%. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 affords the President with the authority to adjust imports being brought into the U.S. in quantities or under circumstances that threaten to impair national security. The President says the reinvigorated Section 232 tariffs “will support the program’s original objective of revitalizing the domestic steel and aluminum industries and achieving sustainable capacity utilization of at least 80%.”

Beyond the Tariff: Proactive Strategies to Mitigate Trade Remedy Impacts

tariffs

In today’s complex global marketplace, businesses are increasingly confronted with the challenges of supply chain disruptions, rising costs, and fierce competition—all exacerbated by trade remedy tariffs. While many of these tariffs are already in play, President-elect Trump has promised to impose new tariffs and increase old ones.