Recently, the United States has been making frequent changes to its tariff policies. These shifts not only impact global supply chains and economic structures on a macro level but also affect every business involved in import and export operations at a more tangible, everyday level.
Therefore, a guide outlining the latest tariff policies is essential. Below is a brief overview of the most recent tariff policy changes in the past few months.
Monthly Highlights Summary
Newest list of tariff exemptions takes effect Sept. 8
President Trump signed an executive order on September 5, 2025, modifying the scope of reciprocal tariffs first announced in April 2025.The order came into force on September 8.
The executive order revises the existing tariff exemptions:Added to exemptions:
Bullion-related goods, certain critical minerals, and pharmaceutical products under investigation are removed from tariff coverage.Removed this goods from exemptions: aluminum hydroxide, resin, and silicone products, which are now subject to reciprocal tariffs.
$800 Goods Duty-Free Allowance Cancelled
Effective August 29, 2025, parcels of goods exported to the U.S. by mail from all countries will no longer be eligible for duty-free treatment.
This means low-value international shipments are no longer exempt from U.S. duties. Previously, only shipments from China and Hong Kong had their de minimis treatment revoked in May 2025.
Port fees surge sharply
Starting October 14, the United States has imposed sky-high port charges on Chinese ships.The initial rate is $50 per net ton and will rise to $140 per net ton in 2028.
As a result of widespread industry opposition, the previously proposed staggering $1.5 million per port call fee has been revised to a more mild fee of $50 per ton, but it will continue to increase annually over the next three years.
Detail of Exempt List and Tax Rate Changes
Exemption List Highlights: Includes multiple key metal products such as gold and graphite
The tariff exemption involves 39 items covering core raw materials for aerospace, consumer electronics, medical devices and other areas, including:
● Precious metals: gold bars (including various specifications), gold products
● Key minerals: graphite, tungsten, uranium, nickel, tin, thorium, molybdenum, zinc, etc.
● Pharmaceutical products: antibiotics and other drugs (some still under Section 232 investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce)
● Others: some airplane parts, coffee, specialty spices, and other goods that cannot be produced in the United States
In parallel with the exemption, the United States will be eight categories of goods into the scope of the tax increase, including:
- aluminum hydroxide
- part of the polyether, epoxy resin
- primary shape saturated polyester, polysiloxane, etc.
Among them, the increase in the tax on silicon products triggered concern. Silicon is an important raw material for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries, and the move may have a ripple effect on the global high-tech supply chain.
Tariffs on 407 steel and aluminum derivative products will be increased by 50%
On August 19, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the inclusion of 407 product categories on the steel and aluminum tariff lists with an applicable rate of 50 percent,effective as of 12:01 a.m. ET on August 18, 2025.
The new list covers a wide range of products, including wind turbines and their components, mobile cranes, railroad vehicles, furniture, compressors, transformers and pumps, automobile and truck bodies, chassis parts, forklifts, bulldozers, excavators and other construction machinery, steel pipes and hundreds of other products, which are either made of steel and aluminum or contain steel and aluminum parts.
In addition, kitchen utensils such as kitchen knives and cosmetic containers and some household or living goods are also included in the list.
Practical steps you can take
Switch to Overseas Warehouses
Get the goods you need shipped to a stateside warehouse as soon as possible. According to the current situation, tariff policy changes will continue to be very frequent in the future, so transport your goods to a warehouse to avoid the increasingly heavy docking tax rates before the vessel docking fees rise very much.
Cost Optimization
You need to accurately determine if your goods will be affected, what goods will be affected, and accurately calculate what these effects will cost you.
Specifically, first and foremost, you need to immediately line up your product tax codes. For example, let’s say your goods contain steel and aluminum, then you need to communicate closely with your raw material suppliers about what percentage of your goods are made up of those ingredients, and the percentage of steel and aluminum in your goods closely affects the amount of tax you’ll have to pay.
If you want to minimize your excess costs, you will also need to check the origin qualification against the Special Exemption Clause. If the steel or aluminum used in the product is cast in the U.S. and shipped to another country for processing into a derivative product, it may be exempt from the 50% duty.
This will save you a significant amount of money, but it will require complete documentation of origin.
Looking for a trustworthy well-experienced shipping partner
All these complicated calculations and declarations require a lot of time and effort. If you have a headache and are tired of wasting time on these calculations, it is a good decision to choose an experienced and trustworthy transportation partner.
A trustworthy partner turns policy shocks into checklists—not surprises.Tariff rules are moving fast. You don’t need to decode them by yourself. The safest play now is to work with a shipping partner who can prove—not just promise—compliance, cost control, and clear communication.
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