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Trump Trade Policy in 'Uncharted Waters,' Says Former USTR
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July 31, 2025
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9:20Now PlayingRon Kirk, US trade representative in the Obama administration, said the on-again, off-again nature of President Trump's tariff regime makes it impossible for American businesses and families to plan ahead.
President Donald Trump extended Mexico’s current tariff rates for 90 days to allow more time for trade negotiations, again relenting after threatening to raise levies on a major trading partner.
Earlier this month, the US president had signaled plans to hike tariffs on Mexico’s exports to 30% from 25% starting Friday, saying President Claudia Sheinbaum’s government hadn’t done enough to help secure their shared border. Many goods certified under a free-trade pact between the countries and Canada have remained exempt.
Trump announced the pause one day after posting on social media that his Aug. 1 deadline “WILL NOT BE EXTENDED.”
“The complexities of a Deal with Mexico are somewhat different than other Nations because of both the problems, and assets, of the Border,” Trump said Thursday in a social media post, following a call with Sheinbaum. The goal now is “signing a Trade Deal somewhere within the 90 Day period of time, or longer,” he said.
Beyond postponing the tariff increase, the biggest relief for Mexico is the continuation of the exemption of goods under the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact, or USCMA. That exception has insulated Mexico from a deeper economic impact from tariffs related to fentanyl trafficking, imposed earlier this year. Still, a separate 25% levy on cars and 50% on steel and aluminum have been a drag on growth.
President Donald Trump entered office in January pledging to unleash prosperity by raising tariffs and cutting red tape. Six months later, the back-office systems connecting the US and global economies face their toughest test yet against an onslaught of both.
Importers, customs brokers and the broader logistics industry are bracing for a deluge of fine print on tariffs before Friday, when Trump has pledged higher country-specific duties amid a number of import taxes targeted at certain products and materials.
Hours before the deadline, key details needed to keep goods flowing and the paper trail compliant are unclear: What will dozens of still-unspecified levies be, will they apply to merchandise already in transit, and how and when will some of Trump’s recent deals be implemented?
“If there is no formal notification before Aug. 1, does that mean the current rates are being assessed? The April 2 tariff rates? We don’t know,” said Cindy Allen, chief executive officer of Trade Force Multiplier LLC, an international trade and customs consulting firm.
US Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency that enforces tariffs and the nation’s trade laws, can’t implement anything based on Trump’s letters, Truth Social posts or administration fact sheets that have outlined his negotiated deals and unilateral pronouncements. CBP needs a more formal notice, such as an executive order or proclamation.
That’s paralyzing companies and their customs brokers who face mounting electronic paperwork, using software that hadn’t been updated as of early Thursday.
‘Around the Clock’
After months of trying to keep up with quick-changing rules, the importers-of-record that actually pay tariffs — not US trading partners, as Trump often claims — worry about penalties and surprise bills that can run into the millions of dollars. For many, it’s impossible to know where and when to send their next purchase orders, much less plan capital investments.
In addition to making customs declarations, brokers now “are really in the weeds with advising clients in how to comply with the regulations and changing tariffs, but also looking at strategies on how to reduce the tariffs, mitigate the tariffs, delay the tariffs,” said William Jansen, head of customs brokerage at SEKO Logistics. “It’s around the clock.”
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