Five Customs and Trade Changes in 2025: How to Prepare

As global shippers embark on a new year, staying ahead of policy changes is crucial for maintaining a competitive edge.

Know what changes to expect and how you can prepare to keep your supply chain on track this year.

1. Several tariff increases are proposed

The incoming U.S. administration has proposed significant changes to U.S. trade policy in 2025. President-elect Trump announced his intention in November 2024 to impose an additional 10% tariff on products from China, as well as an additional 25% tariff on products from Mexico and Canada.

There are several ways that an administration can impose tariffs, each with a slightly different timeline and impact. For a deeper look at the mechanisms available, read this post on what changes to potentially expect.

2. Section 301 China Tariff increases are already in effect

While several tariff increases are being proposed, recent Section 301 tariff increases have gone into effect under the Biden administration.

On December 16, 2024, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced additional tariff rate increases on five subheadings under the Section 301 Four Year Review for imports from China of certain tungsten products, wafers, and polysilicon. The rates on certain tungsten products increased to 25%, and the rates for certain solar wafers and polysilicon increased to 50% on January 1, 2025.

3. Forced labor enforcement continues to rise

Going into 2025, it’s clear that forced labor enforcement isn’t slowing down. Since the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was implemented in June 2022, UFLPA enforcement statistics show over 11,334 shipments have been stopped with approximately 47% of these shipments being released.* Over half of these products are from the electronics industry, which includes the polysilicon for solar panels.

CBP recently reported that trade should expect an increase in the number of entities on the UFLPA Entity List. In November 2024 alone, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) had 29 companies added to the UFLPA Entity List—bringing the total to 107 entities. This expansion of the UFLPA Entity List reflects the DHS prioritization of combatting the introduction of forced labor into U.S. supply chains.

When it comes to understanding your role in forced labor compliance, it is imperative to know who you are buying from and have traceability throughout the entire supply chain. CBP continues to add new and updated resources to its forced labor and UFLPA websites, including videos, fact sheets, FAQs, best practices, and more. Review our Guide to Forced Labor Compliance to better understand your responsibilities.

4. HTS and Schedule B changes effective January 1, 2025

The changes made to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) and Schedule B in 2024 went into effect on 1 January 2025. This is an important time to review your HTS codes as changes to them can have numerous implications on your business.

Because verifying your HTS product classifications is an important step in the tariff exclusion process, you may need assistance reviewing, classifying, or obtaining a binding ruling for your products. Our dedicated classification team can help determine the correct HTSUS classification for a product and if the classification results in fewer duties owed, if any.

5. CBP publishes Periodic Monthly Statement (PMS) dates for 2025

Shippers that are approved to participate in PMS can pay duties for shipments entered or released during the previous calendar month. There are many benefits of the PMS program, such as additional time to make payments to CBP, cash flow advantages, streamlined accounting and reporting processes, and more.

View the 2025 PMS dates now or contact your C.H. Robinson representative to learn more about how you can quickly get signed up for PMS.

4 ways to prepare your supply chain for 2025

A resilient trade compliance program is proactive. It should prepare your organization to implement change when customs and trade developments take effect, but it should not lose sight of basic customs requirements. Here are the top four ways you can prepare for the year ahead:

1. Review and complete our customs and compliance checklist

This guide provides a comprehensive 20-point list of focus areas that will act as your roadmap when preparing your organization for changing regulations.

2. Verify you aren’t making these 9 common customs mistakes

Taking a proactive approach to address 9 common mistakes will not only minimize the risk of an unsuccessful customs audit, but also contribute to a smoother and more compliant trade process.

3. See if you qualify for tariff exclusions

Mitigate your duty impact from provisional tariffs, such as the Section 232 and 301 tariffs, by seeing if you qualify for any duty exclusions with our free U.S. Tariff Search Tool. You can also use the tool to see import costs and identify potential opportunities to reduce or eliminate duties and fees.

4. Track duty spend and potential savings over time

You can quickly and easily see what duty exclusions you have claimed with our U.S. Customs Analytics tool in Navisphere®. It’s easy to see at the invoice line or SKU-level and identify how much you owed in additional duty under the Section 301 China Tariffs and other additional duties, such as the Section 232 steel/aluminum tariffs. You can also determine how renewal or expiration of these exclusions will impact your landed costs.

Stay informed

Developments in customs and trade continue to evolve—stay informed to be prepared:

*Disclaimer and data source: Statistical information is subject to change due to correction or additional information. Data is provided by the Forced Labor Division of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and is current as of December 1, 2024.

Ivana Gavroski
Product Development Manager
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