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The White House has announced a deal with China.

Here’s what you need to know.

The tariff reduction takes effect tomorrow, Wednesday, May 14. if you have a shipment pending customs, it is suggested to withhold from clearing until tomorrow (even if this means incurring demurrage charges) If you have a shipment with us, our team has already communicated with you about its status.

If your goods are subject to Section 232, this change does not impact you. You weren’t affected by the reciprocal tariffs before either. Your applicable tariffs remain: 20% IEEPA, Section 232, Section 301, and standard duties.

Key difference between Section 232 and the reciprocal tariff:

Reciprocal: +10% on top of IEEPA (20%

Section 232: +25% on top of IEEPA (20%)

This reduction is temporary – only for 90 days. After that, there’s no certainty. However, the language suggests that if resumed, the reciprocal tariff would revert to 34%, not 125%.

That would mean:

Reciprocal route: 34% reciprocal + 20% IEEPA + Section 301 + duties

Section 232 route: 25% Section 232 + 20% IEEPA + Section 301 + duties

What you should be doing right now:

Treat this 90-day pause as your window for the rest of 2025—and possibly beyond. Get as much freight in as possible before the pause ends.

Important: The 90-day clock is based on ETA, not the sail date. That gives you a narrow window to:

  • Complete production
  • Book shipping
  • Ensure arrival before August 12, 2025

On behalf of my team, I’m offering to help you reverse-engineer your timeline. We’ll work backwards from the ETA to determine:

  • When production needs to be finished
  • Which vessel you should target
  • Whether there’s time to route to the East Coast or if you need to stick to the West Coast
  • How much buffer time you realistically have

Please don’t wait until production is done. Reach out now so we can proactively map your timeline and help you avoid additional tariffs.

Best regards,
Abe Orgel.

 

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