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The Trump administration has removed its “reciprocal” tariffs on various food items imported from all countries. Effective with respect to goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. EDT on Nov. 13, the U.S. has removed the reciprocal tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act on a number of agricultural products not grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S.

Through September of 2025, Virginia imported $638.7 million in agricultural products from all over the World. The sudden decrease in tariffs for the affected products will make it easier to import these goods into Virginia. For more information, click here.

President Trump issued Nov. 20 an executive order terminating an additional 40 percent tariff on imports of certain agricultural products from Brazil. This change affects more than 200 HTSUS numbers specified in Annex II of the EO linked above and is retroactive for such goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 13, 2025. The additional tariff remains in place for imports of other goods from Brazil not otherwise excluded (click here for more details).

Earlier this month the U.S. removed its “reciprocal” tariffs on virtually the same items imported from all countries, including Brazil, because they are not grown or produced in sufficient quantities in the U.S. However, that action did not impact the additional 40 percent tariff on imports from Brazil because it had been imposed separately for different reasons.

Although tariffs on goods from Brazil remain high, these actions should make it easier to import goods from Brazil. So far in 2025, Virginia companies imported $364 million in goods from Brazil. For more information, click here.

The U.S. negotiated trade framework agreements with Guatemala, El Salvador, Ecuador, and Argentina aimed at expanding market access, reducing tariff barriers, and strengthening bilateral commercial ties, particularly in agriculture and industrial goods. While specific tariff schedules are still being finalized, the agreements are aimed at lowering or eliminating tariffs on select U.S. exports, improve conditions for U.S. agricultural and food products, and provide greater certainty for cross-border trade and investment. 

• For the Joint Statement on the U.S.-Guatemala Framework, click here.
• For the Joint Statement on the U.S.-Ecuador Framework, click here.
• For the Joint Statement on the U.S.-El Salvador Framework, click here.

For the Joint Statement on the U.S.-Argentina Framework, click here

The U.S. announced Oct. 26 trade agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia as well as frameworks for trade agreements with Thailand and Vietnam. The White House said that in the coming weeks it will (1) “undertake domestic formalities” so that the agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia can take effect and (2) negotiate and finalize the agreements with Cambodia and Vietnam and prepare them for signature.

For tariffs, the U.S. will maintain existing “reciprocal” tariffs on originating goods of Malaysia, Cambodia, and Thailand (19 percent) and Vietnam (20 percent) but will eliminate such tariffs on a specified list of products (details not yet available). Malaysia has committed to provide “significant preferential market access” for U.S. industrial goods exports, including chemicals, machinery and electrical equipment, metals, and passenger vehicles, and for U.S. agricultural exports including dairy, horticultural products, poultry, processed products, beverages, pork, rice, and fuel ethanol. Cambodia committed to eliminate tariffs on 100 percent of U.S. industrial goods and U.S. food and agricultural products and has already implemented this commitment. Thailand pledged to eliminate tariff barriers on approximately 99 percent of goods, covering a full range of U.S. industrial and food and agricultural products. Vietnam will remove tariffs on almost all U.S. goods, including food and agricultural products.

Through the first nine months of 2025, Virginia companies exported nearly $400 million in goods to these four countries. When these agreements are finalized, exporters may see increased access in these markets. For more information, click here.

Following a recent meeting in Washington, D.C., the U.S. and the Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan announced their intent to increase economic engagement. Successive U.S. administrations have pursued closer trade ties with these countries at various times in recent years to counter influences from Russia and China.

Some of these measures include improving ease of doing business and encouraging trade and investment through the implementation of regulatory reforms and continuing to strive toward harmonized, transparent customs regimes. In related news, legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would repeal the Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions and thus allow for permanent normal trade relations status (i.e., column 1 import duty rates) for these five countries. 

These actions may make it easier for Virginia companies to do business in Central Asia. For more information, click here.

The Department of Commerce issued a notice amending the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. to implement the tariff changes the U.S. agreed to as part of a trade framework agreement with Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

These amendments include (1) applying the higher of the U.S.’ most-favored-nation tariff rate or 15 percent (comprised of the MFN tariff and a “reciprocal” tariff) on originating goods of Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and (2) adjusting tariffs on certain articles that are products of Switzerland or Liechtenstein, including certain agricultural goods, unavailable natural resources, aircraft and aircraft parts, and generic pharmaceuticals and their ingredients and chemical precursors (see the annex to this notice for full details). These changes are effective with respect to goods entered into or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 14, 2025. 

Although neither country is a primary exporter to the United States, Virginia imported $243 million from Switzerland through the first three quarters of 2025. For more information, click here.

The Trump administration officially implemented its commitments made under a trade agreement recently reached with China. These include: 

• Reducing the IEEPA Fentanyl tariff from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective with respect to goods entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 10, 2025 (Federal Register Notice).
• Maintaining the 10 percent Reciprocal Tariff rate until 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 10, 2026 (Federal Register Notice). This tariff had been scheduled to increase to 34 percent as of Nov. 10, 2025.
• Suspending until Nov. 9, 2026, the implementation of an interim final rule expanding export restrictions to many subsidiaries of entities on two federal lists (Federal Register Notice)
• Suspending through 11:59 p.m. EST on Nov. 9, 2026 (1) the fees imposed on Chinese-owned or -operated vessels and Chinese-built vessels, which had been in effect since Oct. 14, and (2) the imposition of 100 percent tariffs on imports of certain ship-to-shore cranes and cargo handling equipment from China, which had been set to take effect Nov. 9 (Federal Register Notice).
• Extending the exclusion of 178 products from Section 301 tariffs through Nov. 9, 2026 (Federal Register Notice). Products that continue to be excluded from these tariffs include (1) those listed in Annex C to this notice and (2) the solar manufacturing equipment listed in Annex B to this notice.

China remains the largest exporter of goods to Viriginia businesses, despite the volatile tariff war between the two countries. For more information, click here or here.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has determined that China’s acts, policies, and practices related to targeting of the semiconductor industry for dominance are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce and are therefore actionable under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The investigation was initiated in December 2024 by the Biden Administration.

Accordingly, USTR determined that appropriate responsive action includes imposing an additional tariff on imports of semiconductors from China (see chart in this notice for list of affected HTSUS subheadings). This tariff will be set at zero as of Dec. 23, 2025, and will increase on June 23, 2027, to a rate to be announced not fewer than 30 days prior to that date. This new tariff will be in addition to the existing 50 percent tariff on semiconductors from China imposed pursuant to the Section 301 investigation related to forced technology transfer.

Seven HTS numbers will see increased Section 301 China duties effective January 1, 2026, and a new Chapter 99 provision will apply. These increases were originally announced in September 2024 as part of the Four‑Year Review of the Section 301 China tariffs. The table below lists the affected HTS numbers along with their updated tariff rates.

The Trump administration has announced the signing of agreements with Japan and South Korea that will “further enable U.S. engagement with Japan and Korea’s unique science and technology ecosystems to align regulatory and standards approaches, accelerate research and development, and strengthen national security.”

Among other things, both agreements provide that the partner countries intend to work together to promote artificial intelligence exports across the full stack of AI hardware, models, software, applications, and related standards. The agreement with Korea also indicates an intent to explore collaboration on AI export deals “across Asia and beyond” to drive the adoption of a shared AI ecosystem in the region.

Japan and Korea are some of the largest trading partners for Virginia companies, and this recent action should make it easier for high tech businesses in each of these countries to continue working together. For more information, click here.

The Trump administration has issued a notice amending the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. to implement the select aspects of a bilateral trade agreement with South Korea.

First, the U.S. will apply to imports of originating goods from Korea the higher of  (1) the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement or U.S. most-favored-nation tariff rate, as applicable, or (2) a “reciprocal” tariff rate of 15 percent. In addition, the U.S. will reduce its Section 232 tariffs on automobiles, auto parts, timber, lumber, and wood derivatives of South Korea to 15 percent. For such products with a KORUS or MFN tariff rate equal to or greater than 15 percent, no additional Section 232 tariff will apply; otherwise, the sum of the KORUS or MFN tariff and the additional Section 232 tariff will be 15 percent.

Through the first nine months of 2025, South Korea was a top 15 exporter to Virginia. For more information, click here.

The State Department has issued a final rule that, effective Nov. 7, amends the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to lift the U.S. embargo on defense trade with Cambodia. State noted that this decision is based on “Cambodia’s diligent pursuit of peace and security, including through renewed engagement with the United States on defense cooperation and combating transnational crime.”

As a result of this change, requests for authorization for transfers of defense articles and defense services to Cambodia will be adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. In addition, exemptions that are unavailable for transfers to countries listed in ITAR § 126.1 are now available for transfers to Cambodia, subject to the relevant criteria in the exemption being satisfied.

Virginia businesses engaged in military or commercial aviation should consider attending the Singapore Air Show taking place February 3-8, 2026. For more information on the Trade Show, click here.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced plans to phase in higher tariffs on imports from Nicaragua following a Section 301 determination that Nicaragua’s acts, policies, and practices related to abuses of labor rights, abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and dismantling of the rule of law are unreasonable and burden or restrict U.S. commerce. 

USTR states that the U.S. will impose an additional tariff on all imported Nicaraguan goods that are not originating under the Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. This tariff will be set at zero on Jan. 1, 2026, and will increase to 10 percent on Jan. 1, 2027, and 15 percent on Jan. 1, 2028. This timeline and these rates may be modified if Nicaragua shows a lack of progress in addressing applicable issues. USTR notes that this tariff will stack on top of other applicable tariffs, such as most-favored-nation duties and the 18 percent “reciprocal” tariff imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Virginia companies have imported about $35 million in goods from Nicaragua so far this year, already exceeding imports for all of 2024. For more information, click here.

USTR Jamieson Greer briefed the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee on December 16 and 17, respectively, regarding the operation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ahead of the July 1, 2026, joint review. In his statement, Greer said his office intends to keep the President’s options open and will recommend renewing the agreement only if the issues identified can be resolved. He noted that these issues may be addressed either bilaterally or trilaterally. For more information, including Greer’s full statement and a list of identified issues, click here.

Effective December 26, 2025, the Government of Canada is imposing 25 percent tariffs on the full value of the steel derivative products listed here from all countries. Among other exceptions, the tariff will not apply to goods that are subject to a tariff under the United States Surtax Order (Steel and Aluminum 2025). This change will likely increase the cost of exporting steel derivatives to Canada.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has updated its schedule for deploying additional functionality to the Automated Commercial Environment. 

• Exports. Functionality planned for June 2026 will provide the export community with an electronic method for submitting outbound cargo manifests. An enhancement providing a trade-facing electronic export manifest portal to enable the filing of truck EEM bills of lading prior to departing the U.S. for Mexico or Canada and to allow carriers to add account data has not yet been rescheduled. An enhancement enabling export manifest filers to utilize the standard X12 or EDIFACT message sets currently used to submit import truck manifest information remains scheduled for June 2026. Newly scheduled for October 2026 is a modernization of CBP’s ocean manifest EDI services, ocean and rail manifest UIs, and in-bond external interfaces and APIs.
• Import duties. An enhancement enabling ACE to calculate estimated duties on an entry summary line when more than two HTSUS numbers are submitted has been pushed back from January to March 2026.
• De Minimis Shipments. Enhancements adding bond validations for low-value shipments and automating the removal and restoration of entry type 86 test participants remain on hold.

For more information, click here.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has set Jan. 30, 2026, as the due date for payment of the annual customs broker permit user fee, which for 2026 will be $185.38 (up from $180.57).

This fee is assessed for each customs broker permit held by an individual, partnership, association, or corporation. It is payable for each calendar year for a national permit held by a broker and may be submitted through either the eCBP portal or at the processing Center. If it is not paid on time the permit is revoked by operation of law. CBP will hold its next exam for those seeking to obtain a customs broker license in spring 2026. For more information, click here.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has announced that as of Nov. 14 applicants for individual customs broker licenses must complete and submit all applications and associated fees through the eCBP portal. Applications that are hand-delivered, mailed, or emailed on or after that date will be returned to the applicant for submission through this electronic portal.

CBP states that individual applicants will log into eCBP using the same login.gov account used when they applied for the customs broker license exam. Credit card and debit card payments will be accepted, no additional fees will be charged for payments, and receipts will be provided electronically. CBP notes that applications submitted via this method will be placed into the existing queue of applications.

Virginian applicants for individual customs broker licenses should understand these changes to help prevent any obstacles in obtaining their licenses. For more information, click here.