New U.S. import tariffs on goods from 60 trading partners took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, July 24, 2026. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) finalized the action a day earlier under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. It adds duties of either 10% or 12.5%, depending on the country, to most imports from the covered economies, which together account for 99.4% of U.S. imports.
The new duties replace the temporary 10% global tariff imposed under Section 122 of the same law, which reached its 150-day limit and expired as the new measure began. The Supreme Court had earlier struck down the administration’s “reciprocal” tariffs. According to trade advisories from EY and Crane Worldwide Logistics, the Section 301 action rests on investigations into whether trading partners prohibit imports of goods made with forced labor: the 10% rate applies to economies that have such a prohibition or have committed to one, and 12.5% applies to the rest.
Several categories are excluded, among them goods already subject to Section 232 tariffs and goods that qualify under the USMCA. There is also a short in-transit window: goods loaded onto a vessel and in transit before July 24 are exempt if they are entered before 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on July 28.
Importers had been preparing for the change. gCaptain reported that the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates had forecast a record 2.47 million TEUs of imports through major U.S. container ports in July, as companies brought cargo in ahead of expected tariff increases.
What it means for shippers
- Recalculate landed cost by country of origin. The rate now depends on where the goods are made, and for some origins it is higher than the flat 10% it replaces. Ask your customs broker which rate and which exclusions apply to each product.
- Check cargo that was on the water. The in-transit exemption depends on the loading date and on entry before July 28. For shipments close to those dates, have the bill of lading and entry timing reviewed by your broker.
- Do not assume the new duty stacks on everything. Goods covered by Section 232 measures are excluded, and Crane Worldwide notes that the expiry of the Section 122 duty offsets part of the new cost. The net change differs product by product.
- Expect order timing to shift. A month of front-loaded imports means inventory is already in the country. Bookings for the weeks after the deadline may look different from a normal peak season, which affects both vessel space and trucking demand at the ports.
- Keep paperwork consistent. Country of origin, product classification and trade agreement claims now carry more money. Make sure commercial invoices and supplier declarations support what is filed at entry.
Go Trucking Services handles ocean freight for importers and exporters. See our ocean freight service or request a quote on the home page. This article is general information; for duty rates and classification, check with your customs broker.
Sources:
- EY Tax News: USTR takes final action imposing tariffs on 60 trading partners as Section 122 tariffs expire
- Crane Worldwide Logistics: New Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs Take Effect as Section 122 Duties Expire
- gCaptain: Tariff-Driven Frontloading Pays Off as Trump Reinstates Global Import Duties
Image: Pierre Marshall, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
