News & Publications - Braumiller Law Group

Surviving the 2025 Tariff Wave: A Strategic Guide for U.S. Importers

By: James R. Holbein, Of Counsel

The first quarter of 2025 has reshaped the U.S. trade landscape with a flurry of executive actions by the Trump administration, introducing a new wave of tariffs on imports from almost all U.S. trading partners. The Trump Administration has also levied broad duties on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, on the basis of emergency powers of the Executive Branch, citing national security, border control, and illicit drug interdiction.

All Is Fair in Love and War, But Apparently Not Trade. Closing the Gap on Global Trade Deficits with the U.S. (A monumental task for a variety of reasons)

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

As a broad stroke of tariffs are now levied against various countries to close the trade deficit gap, without truly examining the reason(s) for the imbalance, there will most likely be automatic retaliatory tariffs in a lose-lose situation. The White House stated that currently 50 countries are on the phone with the President, but that is hard to confirm. US consumers will ultimately pay the price, as well as SME’s.

Sheinbaum’s Response to Trump´s Tariffs and the Origin of the Goods

By: Brenda Cordova, Mexico Attorney, Braumiller Law Group

On April 3, 2025, during the presidential daily morning briefing, Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the import tariffs announced the day before by President Trump, which targeted several countries. She emphasized that, of all the nations affected by these new duties, Mexico was the least impacted. She attributed this to the strong bilateral relationship between Mexico and the United States. She also reiterated that, since Mexico does not impose tariffs on U.S. goods, it is unfair for the U.S. to impose tariffs on Mexican products.

USMCA – We Have Some Good News and Some Terrible News

By Bruce Leeds, Senior Counsel, Braumiller Law Group

As is well known the US has imposed duties of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico. This means that those imports will take the regular duty plus 25%. For example, a switchgear assembly classified under 8537.10.91 made in Canada or Mexico will take a duty of 2.7% plus the special tariff of 25% for a total rate of 27.7% of the value.

Lessons from the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930

By Mike Smiszek, Senior Trade Advisor, Braumiller Consulting Group

The various tariffs that President Trump has imposed since retaking office are based on delegated authority found in several existing statutes. But a century ago, tariffs were primarily the purview of Congress. One of the most controversial manifestations of U.S. tariff legislation (and of American legislation in general) was the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, signed into law by President Hoover shortly after the United States—and the world—fell into the black hole of the Great Depression.

America’s Misunderstood Trade Deficit

By Mike Smiszek, Senior Trade Advisor, Braumiller Consulting Group

Several fundamental conditions are widely presumed necessary for a country to enjoy the benefits of global trade. One condition is that import activity ought not exceed export activity. Put more simply, we must sell more than we buy. On its face this seem reasonable. It seems logical that a trade deficit (that is, selling less than we buy) is a drain on our economy. Indeed, every month the news media feed us the bad news about the negative “balance of trade” data reported by the Commerce Department.

2025 Trade Policy Agenda Provides Rationale for Trump Tariff Actions

By: James R. Holbein, Of Counsel

On March 3, 2025, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released the 2025 Trade Policy Agenda and 2024 Annual Report on the Trade Agreements Program. The report outlines the rationale of the Trump Administration for its trade policy goals and actions. It complements and expands on the America First Trade Policy Executive Order and also encompasses the massive imposition of tariffs by the President on April 2 in his so-called “Liberation Day” Executive Order and Fact Sheet.

How the Trump Administration Pushed China Deeper into Latin America

By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group

Donald Trump’s first term in office pursued an aggressive foreign policy toward China, imposing tariffs, restricting technology transfers, and accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices. However, one unintended consequence of this hardline approach has been China’s accelerated expansion into Latin America—a region traditionally within the U.S. sphere of influence.

I Attended Liberation Day and All I Got Was These Lousy Tariffs. Is This Liberation? Liberation Day Hangover

By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group

Liberation Day passed with the promised reciprocal tariffs touted by the Trump administration. The president, surrounded by workers in the Rose Garden on April 2, executed a number of tariffs promising to Make America Wealthy Again. How did they calculate these tariffs? Well, there’s speculation.

Security for New Bitcoin Strategic Reserve

By: James R. Holbein, Of Counsel and Justin Holbein

On March 7, 2025, the White House hosted a Digital Assets Summit to celebrate the creation of a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve and a Digital Assets Stockpile by an Executive Order titled, “Establishment of the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile“. The Executive Order recognizes that “The Bitcoin protocol permanently caps the total supply of bitcoin (BTC) at 21 million coins, which is critical to its value proposition as a scarce asset.

Chaebols May Wabble but They Don’t Fall Down How Samsung Became 23% of South Korea’s GDP

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

Chaebols are large, family-owned business conglomerates that play a significant role in South Korea’s economy. These conglomerates have a significant influence on the South Korean economy and are often involved in various government decisions. This rather close relationship has resulted in not just mutual support, but the government providing subsidies, loans, and tax incentives.

All Is Fair in Love and War, But Apparently Not Trade Closing the Gap on Global Trade Deficits with the U.S.

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

In addition to the tariffs on Mexican, Canadian and Chinese imports, Trump is also set to announce a litany of what he deems to be reciprocal tariffs across the globe come April 2, the day after the conclusion of an investigation the President ordered. These tariffs are aimed at balancing trade with other countries, some of which have higher tariff rates on US exports than the US imposes on imports from those nations.

Options to the Panama Canal Perhaps?

By Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group

Prior to the origination of the plans for the Panama Canal vessels of trade had few options of getting goods from Europe and Asia to N. America. One was to sail around the southern tip of South America (Cape Horn) adding months to the journey if they were lucky enough to make it through what is known as one of the most hazardous shipping routes in the world, where it’s estimated that over 800 ships have been lost over the last couple of centuries of trade.

President Trump Restores Section 232 Tariffs

By: Brandon French, Senior Associate, and Olivia Van Pelt, Law Clerk at Braumiller Law Group

On February 10, 2025, President Trump signed proclamations to reinstate the full 25% tariff on steel imports and increase tariffs on aluminum imports to 25%. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 affords the President with the authority to adjust imports being brought into the U.S. in quantities or under circumstances that threaten to impair national security. The President says the reinvigorated Section 232 tariffs “will support the program’s original objective of revitalizing the domestic steel and aluminum industries and achieving sustainable capacity utilization of at least 80%.”

USMCA Part Three: What to Do about Joint Review

By: Adrienne Braumiller, Founder of Braumiller Law Group and Gavin Andersen, Law Clerk, Braumiller Law Group

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) joint review process is scheduled to begin on July 1, 2026, but the time to prepare is now. Embedded trade compliance professionals should already be doing scenario analysis—pulling data, calculating the supply chain impacts of potential changes, and helping their companies to strategize accordingly.