US customs policy is currently changing on a weekly basis. New rates are coming into effect, old ones are expiring, and it has become nearly impossible for European manufacturers to keep track of which rules actually apply to their products. This is exactly where this webinar comes in: instead of just headlines, it provides a fact-based assessment of what procurement teams need to focus on right now.

‍

Stefanie Eich (Deputy Director of Customs at Germany Trade & Invest) and Dr. Melanie Jordan (Deputy Director of Customs at Germany Trade & Invest) join Laura Weiher (Customer Development at Tacto) to break down the current customs landscape. Germany Trade & Invest is the economic development agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. Together, they explain which US customs duties apply to imports, what the Turnberry Deal means for imports into the EU, and what options remain for procurement departments.

‍

The current status: Which customs duties apply to US imports

‍

Since July 24, 2026, duties have been applied under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, citing forced labor in approximately 60 regions. For goods originating in the European Union and Taiwan, a rate of 10 percent applies, provided the regular MFN rate is not higher. For Japan, South Korea, and Switzerland, the rate is 12.5 percent, and an additional 10 percent duty applies to 18 other countries. In parallel, the China tariffs introduced in 2018 remain in effect with additional rates of 7.5 to 25 percent, and as of July 22, 2026, an additional 25 percent duty applies to goods originating from Brazil. For procurement, this means the applicable rate depends on the country of origin, the MFN rate, and numerous exemptions.

‍

Section 232: Customs duties by product category in detail

‍

In addition to the Section 301 duties, there are sectoral duties under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Depending on the annex, a surcharge of 50 or 25 percent is levied on steel, aluminum, and copper. For processed products, a rate of 25 percent applies until December 31, 2027, with an exception for EU goods, which are subject to 15 percent. The metal content is the deciding factor: if it is below 15 percent, no additional duty is levied, with the exception of goods in chapters 72, 73, 74, and 76. The duty is applied to the full customs value of a product, regardless of the metal content, and proof of the country of origin, smelting, and casting, as well as in some cases the total weight of the metals in kilograms, must be provided. Other product groups are also affected: passenger cars and parts at 25 percent (EU 15 percent), trucks at 25 percent, buses at 10 percent, wood products at 10 to 25 percent (EU 15 percent), semiconductors at 25 percent since January 15, 2026, pharmaceutical products at up to 100 percent (EU 15 percent), and drones and parts at up to 100 percent (EU 15 percent) as of September 3, 2026.

‍

The Turnberry Deal: What applies to imports into the EU

‍

On the other side, the so-called Turnberry Deal regulates imports into the EU. The political agreement between the EU and the US on July 27, 2025, was followed by a joint statement on August 21, 2025, and the customs relief measures entered into force on July 1, 2026. Important for context: the Turnberry Deal is not a free trade agreement. It provides for duty-free status for industrial products as well as preferential market access and quotas for agricultural products. A safeguard mechanism allows the EU to revoke granted preferences, and a sunset clause limits the regulation to the period from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2029. The specific implementation is set out in Regulation (EU) 2026/1455.

‍

Action options and documentation requirements for procurement

‍

For practical work in procurement, two points are central: correctly determining the country of origin and choosing the right strategy. Regarding origin, there are no preferential rules; the non-preferential origin according to the Union Customs Code, supplemented by proof of direct transport, is the deciding factor. To research the currently applicable rates, the experts point to EZT-online and Access2Markets, as well as the ATLAS info on document coding. As for action options, the webinar highlights short-term levers such as meticulous documentation of origin and material content, potential material substitution, and factoring customs costs into calculations. Long-term, structural measures such as diversifying supply sources, localizing within the US market, and leveraging existing corporate and site structures for US imports are effective.

‍

Conclusion

‍

The assessment by Germany Trade & Invest makes it clear that for procurement, it is not individual headlines that matter, but rather transparency regarding one's own product categories. Those who know the origin, material composition, and customs tariff number applicable to a product can evaluate the actual impact and derive the appropriate measures. The key is to prepare your data in such a way that new rounds of tariffs can be quickly mapped to the affected parts and suppliers.

‍

In conversation with Laura Weiher (Customer Development at Tacto), Stefanie Eich (Deputy Director of Customs at Germany Trade & Invest) and Dr. Melanie Jordan (Deputy Director of Customs at Germany Trade & Invest) provide an analysis of the current US customs situation. They explain which Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs apply to US imports, which product categories—from steel and semiconductors to pharmaceuticals—are affected, what the Turnberry deal means for imports into the EU, and what options procurement teams have to address uncertainty and cost pressure.