New Tariffs and Liberation Day in the Supply Chain:
Key Updates, Implications, and Strategies
BlueCargo, Los Angeles - April 3, 2025
On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced extensive tariff changes that will have significant implications for global trade. Dubbed “Liberation Day”, these changes mark a strategic shift aimed at recalibrating the United States’ trade relationships with various countries.
Universal 10% Baseline Tariff
Effective April 5, a universal 10% baseline tariff will be applied to all imports entering the United States. This broad measure aims to establish a standard duty rate across all imported goods, serving as the foundation for more specific, country-targeted adjustments.
Country-Specific Reciprocal Tariffs
Starting April 9, the U.S. will implement country-specific reciprocal tariffs designed to counteract perceived disparities in trade practices. These tariffs are set at approximately half the rates that respective countries charge the U.S., according to White House calculations.
Major trade partners such as China, Japan, and the European Union will be subject to higher duties.
For instance, China will face a new 34% reciprocal tariff, in addition to existing tariffs like the Section 301 tariffs and a 20% IEEPA tariff imposed in March. Meanwhile, allies such as the U.K. and Australia will be subject to the baseline 10% tariff, equal to what they impose on the U.S.
De Minimis Shipping Changes
The most transformative change announced is the end of duty-free “de minimis” shipping, which allowed imports under a certain value to enter the U.S. without tariffs. While initial plans to eliminate de minimis treatment for imports from China were announced in early February, the final executive order confirms that all countries will now face tariffs once new systems are fully operational.
This transition will be officially completed on May 2, 2025, specifically affecting imports from China and Hong Kong. According to Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen, the elimination of de minimis treatment will have significant ripple effects on the air freight industry, direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce merchants, and consumers alike.
BlueCargo’s Perspective: Preparing for Impact
Navigating these drastic changes requires strategic planning and real-time visibility into your supply chain operations.
Especially as we anticipate the whiplash from these changes to create strong congestions at Ports as exports also will have to be under requirements, including specific flags rules.
BlueCargo offers an advanced Freight Audit platform designed to help companies mitigate tariff-related disruptions. With features like contract compliance validation, invoice auditing, and automated dispute management, we ensure businesses are not overpaying and remain compliant with OSRA regulations.
In light of these tariff changes, BlueCargo’s tools provide critical support in:
-> Auditing large volumes of bills for discrepancies
-> Ensuring compliance with evolving tariff regulations
-> Tracking shipments and managing communications effectively
Also, don't be afraid to ask your business partners, contractors, vendors and providers to split those charges with you.
Splitting the costs might help to reduce overall accumulated charges and give all parties involved more power to move containers on the long term.
Feel free to reach out to BlueCargo’s team today to discuss how we can help your company brace for impact and optimize your freight management strategy.
support@bluecargo.io
or
contact@bluecargo.io
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