Customs duties, the new administrative challenge for exporters worldwide

US President Donald Trump's new protectionist policy is turning US customs into a bureaucratic nightmare for exporters worldwide. Import duties, which were previously uniform under the principle of customs non-discrimination, have multiplied, with a different rate for each country of origin, most ranging from 10% to 50%. Despite the "joint declaration" between the United States and the European Union, published Thursday, August 21, which details the political agreement reached between the two partners on July 27 (most European products are subject to customs duties of 15%), the new rules are far from clear.

In fact, every White House decree on the subject remains an enigma, difficult to decipher. This is the case of the 40% tax targeting so-called "transshipment" products, which transit through third countries to avoid high customs duties: those, for example, imported from China. Since no clear definition is given, Alexandre Celse, a lawyer at the firm Brocardi Celse Associés, regularly offers his clients several possible interpretations while recommending "particular vigilance" and to wait for "possible formal clarifications from the Trump administration in order to draw definitive conclusions." For the slightest infraction, the sanction of the American administration is merciless, going as far as a ban on the US market.

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