Trump tariff collection for freight shipments delayed by Customs ‘glitch’
An alert from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Friday notified users of a glitch in the system that is used to exempt freight from tariffs, including shipments from China that were already on the water at the time of
this week’s whipsaw in tariffs policy, and any trade from nations now under
the 90-day pause put in place by the Trump administration.
The alert explained that U.S. Customs discovered that the entry code for U.S. shippers to use to have their freight exempted is not working and “the issue is being reviewed.”
In the alert, US Customs advised filers “to transmit cargo release separately and follow up with the summary filing when resolved.”
Normally, when a U.S. importer pays for their freight, they file both the cargo release forms and their financial papers, so they can pay for their cargo. To keep the cargo moving, Customs is advising importers to file the cargo release form now, and file the financial form later, once the glitch is corrected.
For now, that means the tariffs are not being collected by the U.S. government.
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For U.S. shippers and the supply chain, it’s the latest blow at a time of
uncertainty and fear about tariffs policy. It also raises questions about Customs ability to handle the new policy and collect the tariffs revenue that is
key to Trump administration economic goals. Interpretations of the multiple executive orders, social media posts, and customs alerts have some U.S. companies and industry groups trying to figure out when the new tariffs will be deployed.
Despite President Trump saying numerous times tariffs are in effect, including the China tariffs and a 10% tariff applied globally, and being collected, U.S. shippers tell CNBC they have not been charged higher tariff rates on their containers, some of which came in as late as yesterday.
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