Following the meeting in Switzerland between US and Chinese delegations, which sealed a ninety-day truce in the trade conflict between the two countries, President Trump has signed a presidential order establishing the tariff regime for this period. The measure, which will come into force on 14 May 2025, amends the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States with the aim of encouraging a rebalancing of economic relations between the two powers after months of commercial tension marked by reciprocal punitive measures.
The decision has its roots in the presidential decree of 2 April, when the White House declared a national emergency due to persistent imbalances in the US trade balance. US authorities had attributed these imbalances to non-reciprocal trade practices deemed damaging to national economic security, and had imposed significant additional tariffs on a wide range of goods from China. China responded promptly, with the State Council Tariff Commission announcing countermeasures, escalating the situation and leading to further corrective ordinances in the following days.
The new presidential order marks a reversal of course, albeit a temporary one. From the early hours of 14 May, goods from China, Hong Kong and Macao will be subject to an additional ad valorem tariff of 10%, replacing previous rates that had reached as high as 34%, and in some cases even 125%. The suspension of twenty-four percentage points from the originally imposed tariffs will remain in effect for an initial ninety-day period, during which it is hoped that negotiations with Beijing will yield concrete results in terms of trade rebalancing and economic security.
The order also introduces targeted changes to the US customs system, modifying specific entries in the tariff schedule. In particular, it redefines the description of certain product categories subject to tariffs and reduces the rates applied to those covered by the strictest measures. The suspension also affects some codes and explanatory notes of the HTSUS, in line with the new framework.
A further change concerns low-value imports, up to 800 dollars, which were previously exempt under the de minimis rule and had already been targeted by earlier measures. In this area, the tariff rate drops from 120% to 54%, while the flat tariff of 100 dollars per parcel containing such goods is maintained, halting the planned increase to 200 dollars that was due to come into effect in June.
The implementation of the measure will be entrusted to an inter-agency task force composed of senior officials from the Departments of Commerce, Homeland Security, Treasury, State, and the Office of the US Trade Representative. This body will be responsible for adapting regulations and notifications to make the suspension effective. The agencies involved may also act through temporary regulatory suspensions or updates published in the Federal Register.
For international transport and logistics operators, the suspension of tariffs offers a short-term recovery opportunity, particularly in container traffic to and from Asian ports. However, the temporary nature of the measure calls for caution: if no tangible progress is made in bilateral talks over the ninety-day period, the situation could quickly revert to heightened tension.
