As reported in BakerHostetler’s alert of April 11, 2022, President Biden recently signed into law a bill revoking Russia’s most-favored nation, or MFN, trade status. The new law imposed non-MFN tariffs on Russia (and Belarus) under the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), which are generally higher than the corresponding MFN rates. The law also granted the President time-limited authority to increase tariffs on Russian and Belarussian products above non-MFN rates.
On June 27, the United States joined other Group of Seven members in announcing additional sanctions on Russia in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine. Invoking his discretionary authority under the new law, President Biden issued a Presidential Proclamation to increase tariffs to 35 percent on more than 570 groups of Russian products worth around $2.3 billion. The increase takes effect for goods entering the United States on or after July 27, 2022 and will remain in place until expressly reduced, modified, or terminated. The proclamation covers a wide variety of imports, including mineral products, chemicals, plastics and rubber, wood and pulp products, textiles and apparel, machinery, electronic parts, transportation equipment, and other manufactured articles. A complete list of the HTS codes affected by the tariff increase is provided in Annex A to the Presidential Proclamation.
If you have questions regarding the tariff increases or related issues, please contact a member of our experienced international trade team.
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This Alert is a tool to help businesses, both U.S. and foreign, consider impacts on their business with Russia, Belarus, or Ukraine. The Alert cannot be relied upon as legal advice. U.S. and foreign trade laws and regulations are complex, detailed, and continuing to develop, and legal counsel should be sought for guidance on specific transactions.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of our International Trade and National Security team or your BakerHostetler relationship partner with questions. BakerHostetler continues to closely monitor the situation.
Authorship credit: Ron Baumgarten
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