White House Caps China IEEPA Fentanyl and Reciprocal Tariffs at 10%

Nov. 5, 2025
By: Austin J. Eighan

As part of ongoing negotiations between the United States and China, the countries agreed to pause a series of mutual tariffs, export controls, and retaliatory restrictions for one year. The White House announced that the deal will take effect on November 10.

To implement this agreement, President Trump issued two Executive Orders (EOs). The first EO reduces the IEEPA tariff meant to address the influx of synthetic opioid imports from China to 10%. The second extends the suspension of a 34% IEEPA reciprocal tariff rate through November 10, 2026, leaving in place a 10% reciprocal tariff on Chinese goods. The United States also agreed to extend certain Section 301 exclusions; suspend the implementation of the "Affiliates Rule" (see more here); and postpone tariffs targeting China's maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors (see more here).

In return, China agreed to relax export controls on rare earth minerals and issue general licenses allowing exports of rare earths, gallium, germanium, antimony, and graphite to U.S. end users and their global suppliers. China also committed to lifting retaliatory tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed since March 2025 and resuming large-scale purchases of key U.S. agricultural and industrial goods.

If your company would like to review how the current status of these trade negotiations impacts your supply chain, please reach out to one of our attorneys at Barnes, Richardson & Colburn.