Impact on International Shipping from Italy to the USA
Effective April 5, 2025, the United States will implement new import tariffs, with further increases anticipated from April 9th. Staying informed is crucial for effectively managing your international shipping operations and potential cost impacts.
Here are the key takeaways:
- Increased Tariffs: An additional 10% import duty will be applied starting April 5, 2025. From April 9th, specific increases are expected for countries listed in Annex I (EU +20%, other nations ranging from 11% to 50%).
- Goods Origin: These new tariffs will exclusively affect the non-US content of shipments. At least 20% of the imported goods’ value must originate in the USA to avoid these new duties.
- Economic Impact: The introduction of these US import tariffs will inevitably lead to higher shipping costs to the USA and could generate international trade tensions.
- Cumulative Duties: It’s vital to remember that these new tariffs will be added to existing import duties. For example, goods shipping from China to the USA and shipping from Hong Kong to the USA could face a total tariff of 54%.
- Canada and Mexico: Partial exemptions are planned for shipping to Canada from the USA and shipping to Mexico from the USA, with specific rates to be announced soon.
- Future Developments: Trade retaliations from other countries or tariff reductions based on future actions by US trade partners are possible.
Important Tariff Exemptions:
Certain categories of goods will be exempt from the new import tariffs:
- Humanitarian aid and personal baggage (ref. 50 USC 1702(b)).
- Steel and aluminum articles and derivatives (already subject to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, as amended in 2025).
- Automobiles and auto components (already regulated by Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act, as amended in 2025).
- Annex II Products (including copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, etc.).
- Imports with preferential US tariffs (HTSUS Column 2).
Customs Update – April 10, 2025
The United States has announced a temporary 90-day suspension of “reciprocal tariffs,” but the truce does not apply to China, Mexico, or Canada. Minimum tariffs of 10% remain in place, along with duties on steel, aluminum, and automobiles. Notably, President Trump has increased customs duties on imports from China up to 125%. In response, China has imposed retaliatory tariffs of 84% on U.S.-made goods, which came into effect today.
EU Suspends US Tariff Countermeasures for Negotiations – April 15, 2025
In response to the reintroduction and expansion of US tariffs on steel and aluminum, the European Union has adopted a package of trade rebalancing measures, formalized in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/778 of April 14, 2025. These measures, designed to proportionally compensate for the harm suffered by European industries in accordance with WTO rules, provide for the imposition of duties on products originating from the United States. However, the actual application of these countermeasures has been immediately suspended until July 14, 2025, as established by Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/786. This suspension, which also includes the measures provided for in Regulation (EU) 2020/502, aims to allow room for further negotiations with the United States government in the hope of a resolution or a reduction of the American tariffs before the potential entry into force of the EU countermeasures.
In this evolving landscape, we are here to help you navigate your international shipments from Italy to the USA, especially those with DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shipments.
Contact us for a personalized shipping consultation!
