US tariffs persist

U.S. trade officials told Mexican auto and steel companies this week not to expect tariff relief in the coming North American trade talks. (usnews.com) U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer delivered that message in Mexico City on Monday, April 20, during meetings tied to the review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, according to four industry sources cited by Reuters. The Office of the United States Trade Representative said the joint review is set to begin July 1. (usnews.com) (ustr.gov) Mexico had been pushing for an early deal on steel, aluminum and autos before that broader review wraps up. President Claudia Sheinbaum said on April 20 that Mexico wanted an agreement in those sectors ahead of the full U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement process. (usnews.com) The signal from Washington cuts against that effort. Reuters reported that Greer told Mexican industry groups at least some level of tariffs is “here to stay,” even with the treaty review approaching. (usnews.com) At the same time, the Trump administration has opened a new refund process for some tariffs that courts struck down. U.S. Customs and Border Protection launched the first phase of its CAPE refund tool in the Automated Commercial Environment portal on April 20 for duties imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. (cbp.gov) (content.govdelivery.com) Trump used that opening to pressure companies publicly. In a CNBC interview on April 21, he said he would “remember” the businesses that do not seek tariff refunds. (cnbc.com) (forbes.com) The refund process and the Mexico talks cover different legal buckets. The CAPE portal applies to certain duties collected under the emergency-powers law known as IEEPA, while the White House has separately kept Section 232 metal tariffs in place and said steel, aluminum and copper imports remain a national-security issue. (cbp.gov) (whitehouse.gov) That leaves North American manufacturers dealing with both policy uncertainty and compliance work. In March, U.S. and Mexican officials said their technical teams would study ways to increase regional production while limiting “non-market inputs” in North American supply chains. (ustr.gov) For suppliers, that means customers are likely to ask faster questions about where parts, metals and components come from — and to want cleaner records to prove it. The U.S. customs system already requires importers and brokers to file detailed entry data through ACE, and the new CAPE process adds another documentation track for companies seeking refunds. (cbp.gov 1) (cbp.gov 2) The next marker is July 1, when the formal U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement review begins. For now, the administration is keeping tariffs as leverage in the talks while inviting companies to fight over refunds through a new portal. (ustr.gov) (cbp.gov)