Faced with the threat of retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico, Congress tucked a repeal of the mandatory country-of-origin labeling – or COOL – rules for meat that offended the NAFTA trade partners into the omnibus spending bill passed in the closing days of...
Bubbly on the Rise: US Imports of Sparkling Wine Are Up
Nearly time to toast the New Year with a glass of champagne from – where else? – France’s Champagne region ... or perhaps you prefer a crémant de Bourgogne, or cava from Spain, or prosecco from Italy? If so, you’re part of a trend. Sparkling wine sales in the US were...
US Tariffs on Chinese Steel Near 500%
US tariffs on Chinese steel imports could near 500% with the Commerce Department International Trade Administration’s preliminary decision to slap anti-dumping duties of 256% on corrosion-resistant steel – this on top of countervailing duties of 236% imposed in...
On the Way: Fresh Grapes Imported from Chile
’Tis the season for (no, not Santa, that’s next week) ... fresh grapes imported from Chile! As the Northern Hemisphere swings into winter, shipments of fruit from the Southern Hemisphere ramp up. Leader of the pack, the first Chilean table grapes have shipped, reports...
Fueling Speculation: Gigafactory’s Need for Lithium
We called it a new HS code for Tesla – the new Harmonized System tariff code that distinguishes lithium-ion batteries imported to run electric vehicles from all the rest of Li-Ion batteries destined for digital devices, appliances and power tools. But, of course,...
A New HS Code for Tesla (and Other EV Makers)
Yet another sign that electric cars are catching on: A new 10-digit Harmonized Tariff System code has been established for the lithium-ion batteries used to power electrical vehicles: HS 8507.60.0010. Until now, the HS codes did not distinguish between EV batteries...
Steelmakers Pushback against Low Price Imports
A trade complaint concerning hot-rolled steel filed with the Department of Commerce and US Trade Commission Tuesday is the latest move in a US steelmakers pushback against low price imports that “have been flooding our shores, substantially reducing selling prices,...
J.Crew Brought Low by a Cropped Sweater
Tossing aside the Head of Women’s Design for the J.Crew brand and trimming 175 from the payroll, the J.Crew Group last week announced alterations aimed at “critical improvements to our J.Crew women’s assortment including fit, design aesthetic and styling.” As Business...
Whiskey, whiskey: Top US distilled spirits import, export
Whiskies led US distilled spirits import-export trade with the rest of the world in 2014, with bourbon dominating US whiskey exports, and Scotch & Irish whisky (spelled without the ‘e’) the top US import in this product category. The US leads the world in imports...
US Imported Beer Up
It may have been National Beer Day, but many here in the States yesterday hoisted a bottle of brew from Mexico, just south of the border but far and away the top source for US imported beer. Total US beer imports were up 11.7% by value, and 6.9% by volume, in 2014...