The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is moving forward with Phase VII of the Lacey Act provisions, which will go into effect on December 1, 2024. This phase introduces 250 new Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes for plants and plant products that will now require a Lacey Act Import…
On September 13, 2024, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) finalized long-awaited modifications to the tariffs imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The tariffs, originally implemented to pressure China to reform its policies on technology transfer and intellectual property rights, are part of the broader U.S.-China trade conflict. The latest update…
Overall The latest Drewry WCI composite index per 40ft container is 64% below the previous pandemic peak in September 2021, but it is 160% more than the average 2019 (pre-pandemic) rate. Additionally, the average index for the year-to-date significantly exceeds the 10-year average, highlighting the lasting impact of the exceptional conditions during the 2020-2022 period.…
In a dramatic escalation, dockworkers walked off the job early Tuesday morning at 36 major ports across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, marking the first strike of its kind in nearly 50 years. This stoppage halts nearly half of all U.S. trade, affecting vital imports such as automobiles, consumer electronics, and furniture, though energy…