Trade Agreements

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Companies can design their international supply chain to reduce customs duties and other expenses by sourcing goods originating in a Free Trade Area. The United States has trade agreements ranging from the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement ("USMCA") and the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic FTA ("CAFTA-DR") to bilateral agreements with South Korea, Australia, Chile, Singapore, Jordan, Israel, Moroco, Bahrain and other countries. Companies exporting to customers who may be seeking to claim preferences under these agreements must establish compliance systems to gather the necessary information and document the origin of their products. Similarly, importers need to have the required documentation or knowledge to support a claim for duty-free entry.

Barnes/Richardson lawyers have helped many companies establish and defend compliance systems for FTAs. This experience includes very complex programs including automotive rules of origin, averaging, fungible materials, and other details of the rules of origin. We have also worked with companies undergoing governmental verifications of the status of their goods.

Jun. 12, 2025: U.S. and China in a Trade Deal with Details to Follow
Jun. 9, 2025: Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Rise, Change, and Maybe Expand
Jun.3, 2025: Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on the Rise
Jun. 2, 2025: CIT Clarifies Scope Referral Requirement in EAPA Cases
May 30, 2025: Tariffs Back on For a While Probably, Maybe
May 22, 2025: Skirting the Law: UFLPA Compliance and Subsidiaries
May 15, 2025: Another Customs "Clarification" Excludes Feeder Ships from In-Transit Vessel Exemption
May 13, 2025: White House Announces Trade Deal With China (UPDATE)
May 12, 2025: Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigation on Aircraft, Engines, and Parts
May 12, 2025: White House Announces Trade Deal With China
May 12, 2025: Customs Clarifies "U.S. Content" for Reciprocal Duties
Ma 8, 2025: U.S. and U.K. Strike Trade Deal Following Trump Tariffs
May 7, 2025: CIT Issues Classification Neither Party Advocated
May 1, 2025: A Brief Survey of the IEEPA Legal Challenges
Apr. 30, 2025: CBP Clarifies: In-Transit Tariff Exemption Applies Only to Vessel Shipments
Apr. 29, 2025: Administration to Ease Auto and Parts Tariffs
Apr. 29, 2025: Latest Executive Order Limits Tariff Stacking
Apr. 24, 2025: De Minimis Ending for Goods of China (and Hong Kong)
Apr. 23, 2025: Section 232 Takes on Medium and Heavy-Duty Trucks
Apr. 17, 2025: Another Rapid Response Mechanism Request on the Books
Apr. 16, 2025: Trump Orders National Security Investigation for Critical Minerals
Apr. 10, 2025: EU to Pause Countermeasure Response for 90 Days
Apr. 9, 2025: EU and China Strike Back with Tariffs on U.S. Imports
Apr. 9, 2025: Trump Announces 90-Day Pause on Country-Specific Reciprocal Tariffs
Apr. 8, 2025: Customs Issues "Reciprocal Tariffs" Guidance
Apr. 8, 2025: White House Indicates China Will Face (at least) 104% Duties
Apr. 4, 2025: Tariff Subheading Guidance for ‘Reciprocal Tariffs' Published
Apr. 4, 2025: Global Response to U.S. ‘Reciprocal Tariffs'
Apr. 3, 2025: Correction and Exclusions for ‘Reciprocal Tariffs' Published
Apr. 2, 2025: Trump Announces 25% Tariff on Passenger Vehicles, Light Trucks, and Auto Parts
Apr. 2, 2025: Changes to De Minimis Duty Free Treatment for Good from China and Hong Kong
Apr. 2, 2025: Reciprocal Tariffs Announced
Mar. 27, 2025: President Trump Announces 25% on Autos and Light Trucks
Mar. 25, 2025: 25% Tariffs on Countries that Import Venezuela Oil
Mar. 19, 2025: AD/CVD Petitions Filed for Corrugated Boxes from China and Vietnam
Mar. 13, 2025: Countries Around the World Strike Back at the Trump Administrations Increase in Tariffs
Mar. 11, 2025: U.S. Seeking Broad Trade Agreement with India
Mar. 11, 2025: As Tariffs Loom, Steel and Aluminum Rules Remain in Flux with Lost Exclusions and Increased Duties
Mar. 11, 2025: CBP Guidance on Duties on Imports of Steel and Steel Derivative Products
Mar. 11, 2025: CBP Guidance on Duties on Imports of Aluminum and Aluminum Derivative Products
Mar. 11, 2025: Canadian 50% Steel & Aluminum Tariff Reportedly Averted
Mar. 11, 2025: Steel & Aluminum Derivatives Tariffs Outside Chapters 73 & 76 Effective This Week
Mar. 10, 2025: USTR Announces 2025 Trade Agenda
Mar. 6, 2025: Tariff Exemptions on Mexican USMCA Imports Reported
Mar. 6, 2025: All USMCA Imports Reportedly Exempt from Tariffs
Mar. 6, 2025: USMCA Tariff Exemption Executive Orders Published
Mar. 5, 2025: Senators Revise Plan to Tie Duties to Carbon Emissions

View Archive

Jan. 22, 2025: Webinar: What We Know After the Inauguration
Sep. 9, 2024: McPherson to Co-Moderate Export Enforcement Discussion
January 20, 2020: USMCA: An Overview
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
May 4, 2017: BRC Partner Lawrence Friedman to Speak at Upcoming PERT Event
March 3, 2014: BRC Partner Quoted in Korean Orange Juice Investigation
June 18, 2013: Barnes/Richardson Attorney Authors Article on U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement
May 5, 2008: Canada Adopts NAFTA Disassembly Rule
January 14, 2008: The Role of Trade in the 2008 Elections
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
October 12, 2007: NAFTA Certificates of Origin: Supporting Document Requirement
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
July 13, 2007: CBP Commissioners Speak on Cargo Security
May 1, 2007: Reducing Customs Duties: Strategies for Importers
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
January 11, 2007: Country Brief: Oman
January 11, 2007: Country Brief: Jordan
November 20, 2005: Country Brief: Morocco
March 17, 2005: Country Brief: Australia
November 19, 2004: Country Brief: Chile
November 18, 2004: Country Brief: Panama
November 18, 2004: Country Brief: Bahrain
May 1, 2004: "Who's Who" in Customs and International Trade Law
By: David G. Forgue
March 10, 2004: The U.S.-Singapore Free-Trade Agreement
November 19, 2004: Country Brief: Singapore
June 10, 2003: United States and Singapore Sign Free Trade Agreement
January 1, 2003: NAFTA Rules of Origin

Andean Pact CO
Carribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act CO
GSP Guidebook (February 2007)
H.R. 1830 - Andean Trade Preferences Extension
U.S. Preferential Trade Agreements and Programs Synopsis
Trade Deals Going South
CBP Memo on System Changes for US-Australia FTA
US-Australia FTA Implementation Information
US-Bahrain FTA Final Rule
US-Bahrain FTA Interim Rule
Guidance on MPF and Duty Preference Programs
2007 Customs Year in Review
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: DR-CAFTA for Dominican Republic
U.S.-Chile Sample CO
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Amendment to the U.S. Dominican Republic-Central America FTA
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Chile Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: DR-CAFTA for Guatemala
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: DR-CAFTA for Honduras and Nicaragua
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Jordan Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Morocco Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Oman Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Singapore Free Trade Agreement
WTO Proposal for Trade Liberalization in Environmental Goods

African Growth and Opportunities Act
WTO Antidumping Information
Canada and the NAFTA (Dep't of Foreign Affairs)
Dispute Settlement Under NAFTA
Investor-State Arbitrations under NAFTA
NAFTA Information (Canada Border Services Agency)
NAFTA Information (US)
NAFTA Secretariat
Organization of American States
U.S. Dep't of Commerce Trade Compliance Center
AGOA Info
Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement
Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement
Federal Revenue & Customs of Brazil
Free Trade Area of the Americas (Canadian)
Free Trade Area of the Americas (OAS)
Free Trade Area of the Americas (Official)
Guide to the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement
Southern Africa Trade Law Center
Trade Agreements Database
U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Final Text)
U.S.-Bahrain FTA Final Text
U.S.-Bahrain FTA Resources
U.S.-Central America-Domincan Republic FTA USTR Resources
U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic FTA (Final Text)
U.S.-Chile FTA Final Text
U.S.-Chile FTA USTR Resources
U.S.-Colombia FTA Final Text
U.S.-Colombia FTA Resources
U.S.-Israel FTA Background
U.S.-Israel FTA Final Text
U.S.-Jordan FTA Final Text
U.S.-Jordan FTA Resources
U.S.-Korea Free Trade Resources
U.S.-Morocco FTA Final Text
U.S.-Morocco FTA Resources
U.S.-Panama FTA Resources
U.S.-Singapore FTA Final Text
U.S.-Singapore FTA USTR Resources
United Nations
USTR FTA Negotiations
World Trade Organization