In arecent twist that’s sending shockwaves through the U.S. importcommunity, newly implemented 10% tariffs on non-Chinese goods arecatching many shippers off guard—particularly those whose supplychains involve long transit times and transshipment hubs.
While many importers raced to meet the Biden-era* “load-by”deadline of April 5 in hopes of avoiding the tariffs, evolving anddelayed guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hasleft even compliant shipments vulnerable to steep duties.
The Trump administration’s rollout of the tariffs created anarrow window between loading deadlines and customs entryrequirements. Importers were initially told that goods loaded beforeApril 5 would be exempt. However, CBP added a second stipulation:cargo must also arrive and be entered for consumption by May 27.
That timeline has become a logistical nightmare for importersrelying on extended ocean transits or transshipment routes—commonin complex global supply chains. According to Don Pisano, presidentof American Coffee Corp., typical shipments from Southeast Asia tothe U.S. Gulf take around 60 days, far exceeding the window.
“It seems completely arbitrary and punitive,” said Pisano,whose company now faces $20,000 in unexpected tariffs due to acontainer routed through Shanghai—despite being shipped in March.
The situation worsens for cargo routed via transshipment hubs. Inmany cases, cargo that departed its origin port before April 5 waslater transferred—post-deadline—onto a vessel bound for the U.S.As per CBP’s May 15 guidance, such shipments no longer qualify forthe in-transit tariff exemption.
This late clarification, more than six weeks after the executiveorder took effect, contradicts previous communications from CBP andhas sown further confusion among trade attorneys and complianceprofessionals.
The exemption end-date was only disclosed on April 4—two daysafter the reciprocal tariffs were introduced—via CBP’s CargoSystems Messaging Service (CSMS). Trade experts argue this was fartoo late for proactive compliance, especially since many goods hadalready departed ports by then.
Gabrielle Griffith, a director at BPE Global, noted that while theuse of a cutoff date aligns with some past CBP practices, itcontrasts with earlier tariff orders under the InternationalEmergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which didn’t specify suchrigid timelines.
“This took them six weeks to come up with the wrong conclusion,”said Pisano, echoing a sentiment widely shared in the tradecommunity. Many importers now find themselves penalized due tocircumstances largely outside their control—particularly thoserelying on third-party routing decisions.
This latest tariff enforcement episode underscores a persistentchallenge in global logistics: policy unpredictability. Companiesengaged in international trade must not only move fast but alsoremain agile enough to interpret and respond to regulatory changes inreal-time.
For logistics providers, this is a crucial moment to add value—notjust through capacity and routing expertise, but by offering advisoryservices to help clients navigate trade compliance and mitigatefinancial risk.
Stay informed, stay agile.
For tailored logisticsand compliance strategies, consult with your global trade advisor orreach out to your customs broker for the latest updates on CBPguidance.
Source:https://www.joc.com/article/scheduling-linked-to-10-tariffs-causing-confusion-angst-for-us-importers-6009281
