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In 2025, the United States has imposed or threatened to impose tariffs on a number of goods coming from all over the World. Over the past quarter, several U.S. courts have argued that tariffs used under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were unconstitutional, with the U.S. Supreme Court most recently stating that they would review this issue in November. The U.S. also invoked section 232 of the Trade Act of 1974 to levy new tariffs on pharmaceuticals, timber/lumber products, and heavy trucks and their parts and initiated new investigations on wind turbines, PPE and medical products, and robotics and related products. In the meantime, the U.S. has increased its reciprocal tariffs, negotiated trade deals with the EU and Japan, and sharply increased its tariffs on India and Brazil. Moreover, there have been changes in the tariff rates on steel and aluminum derivatives and copper products, and de minimis entry has been eliminated in its entirety.

In 2025, the talk of tariffs and trade deals has dominated headlines. The U.S. imposed substantial tariffs on many goods from virtually all countries earlier this year but quickly pulled back some tariffs in the hopes of negotiating new trade deals. So far, the U.S. has implemented an economic prosperity agreement with the United Kingdom while other deals remain pending at the time of writing this. In addition to trade deal negotiations, the U.S. is currently reviewing several U.S. unilateral programs, including the Caribbean Basin Initiative and the African Growth and Opportunity Act.

Over the past three months, tariffs have dominated headlines, with the most significant tariffs being revealed on April 2. Earlier in the year, the U.S. had already imposed new tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico that do not qualify for duty-free treatment under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. The U.S. has also increased tariffs on Chinese goods as well as imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. In response, several U.S. trading partners have imposed tariffs on U.S. exports, including the European Union, Canada, and China. Outside of tariffs, the U.S. met with India to discuss trade relations, and the U.S. exited the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity agreement.

This guide outlines several strategies for businesses to manage and mitigate the impact of increased tariffs on imported goods. The guide covers three main approaches: avoiding tariffs, mitigating tariffs, and recovering paid tariffs.

U.S. negotiators wrapped up the year by finalizing several new memorandums of understanding, one on improving two-way trade with Montenegro and one on critical minerals with India. The U.S. also discussed labor standards with several allies, including the EU and Kenya. Other negotiations included meetings with representatives from the UAE, the Caribbean nations, and Taiwan to discuss customs and investment matters.

The United States continues to focus on de-coupling from China, most recently by imposing new tariffs on Chinese goods, including a 100% tariff on electric vehicles. At the same time, the U.S. is continuing to have trade negotiations with a number of countries, including Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Argentina, and Kenya. Several plurilateral agreements, such as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, are slowly making progress as well.