Recent Customs News and Updates
Statement on Tariffs:
06/11/2025
On Tuesday June 10, 2025, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals granted the administration’s request to pause the lower court ruling that blocked the tariffs. The IEEPA Tariffs will remain in place at least through the month of July. Oral arguments for the court case are scheduled to begin on July 31, 2025.
5/29/2025
Yesterday May 28, 2025 the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the IEEPA tariffs that were imposed by the White House were unlawfully implemented. The ruling provided a 10 day window for the administration to complete the administrative task of halting the tariffs. The White House has 60 days to appeal the ruling and is likely to request a stay which would pause the repeal of the tariffs. For the time being, tariffs are still being collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds.
05/13/2025
Our customs brokerage team is closely monitoring the fluid situation surrounding the import Tariffs recently enacted on all imports into the United States. Tariffs that have been imposed so far have fallen under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). IEEPA protects the rights of U.S. persons to participate in the exchange in informational materials. This includes, but is not limited to, publications, films, photograph records, photographs, microfilms, microfiche, tapes, compact disks, CD Rom’s, artworks, and news wire feeds.
As a result, artworks (including Paintings, Prints, Drawings, collages, and sculptures) are exempted from the newly enacted tariffs. Furniture items, antiques and collectibles are not exempt and are subject to additional tariffs.
U.S. Customs also offers several remedies for items coming into the U.S. temporarily for exhibition.
Customs duties are determined by the country of origin (production / manufacture); this differs from the country of export (where the shipment comes from). All customs invoices provided to U.S.Art Company, Inc for clearance must clearly state the country of origin.
For the latest tariff news, please contact your U.S.Art representative. We remain ready to assist.
Temporary Suspension of Duties on UK and German Prints and Photographs Effective March 11th
3/24/2021
Due to a mutual agreement between the United States and the European Union, all tariffs related to the World Trade Organization Aircraft disputes have been temporarily suspended for a 4 month period, in order to allow additional time for settlement negotiations. The suspension went into effect on March 11, 2021 and temporarily removes the 25% Duty applied to contemporary photographs, prints, and lithographs originating from Germany and the United Kingdom. Additional information can be found at the following link:
While we are hopeful that a settlement will be reached, there is no guarantee that the suspension will be extended past the 4 month period. For more information on these tariffs and their potential impact, please contact your U.S.Art Representative.
9/18/2020
“”NEW”” Chinese Origin Paintings to Remain Exempt from Section 301 Duties until December 31, 2020
On August 31, 2020 the office of the United States Trade Representative granted extensions on certain exclusions from the China 301 List 4 Tariffs. The extensions were originally granted on July 20, 2020 and we set to expire on September 1, 2020. While the initial exclusions covered a majority of artworks listed under chapter 97 in the USHTS, the extension currently only applies to original Paintings, Drawings, and Pastels covered under HTS code 9701.100000. The exclusion for 9701 items is now set to expire on December 31 2020. There is no guarantee that an additional extension will be granted after that time. Additional information can be found at the following link: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/301Investigations/%24300_Billion_Exclusion_Extensions_August_2020.pdf
U.S.Art will continue to follow the situation as it unfolds. Please contact your U.S.Art customer service representative with any questions or concerns.
Reduction of Tariffs on Chinese Origin Goods
2/14/2020
With the signage of the Phase 1 Trade Agreement between the U.S. and China on January 15, 2020, section 301 additional tariffs on List 4A goods from China were reduced from 15 percent to 7.5%. The effective date for the decrease was 2/14/2020. Items covered under the List 4A goods include photographs, artwork, and antiques of Chinese Origin. A full list of HTS Codes effected can be found at the following link: https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/enforcement/section-301-investigations/section-301-china/300-billion-trade-action. Duty rates are determined by the Country of Origin (country of manufacture or production of an object). The current location or country of export does not determine the duty rate for an object. Please contact your local U.S.Art rep for additional assistance.
New Import Restrictions on Archaeological and Ethnological Materials from Ecuador
2/12/2020
Ecuador has joined the list of countries protected under the authority of the Convention on Cultural Property Implementation Act. Articles such as Archaeological Materials, Stone, Ceramic, Metal, Organic Materials, Ethnological Material, Paintings, Sculptures, Furniture, Metalwork, Textiles, and Documents are subject to the restrictions and will require additional documentation prior to entry into the United States. Please contact your U.S.Art rep with any questions. More information can be found at the following link: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/02/14/2020-03118/import-restrictions-imposed-on-archaeological-and-ethnological-material-from-ecuador
For a more complete list of USA Natural Cultural Heritage Laws and countries protected under the Cultural Property Implementation Act, please visit the following link: https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/us/laws/