A look at new global trade/tariff/customs regulations and bans starting August 1st!

1. United States

1. Reciprocal Tariffs
• Effective time: 2025-08-01 00:01 EST
• Coverage: Formal letters have been sent to 25 countries, with tariff rates ranging from 25% to 50%
• Major countries/regions and new tax rates:
- Japan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Tunisia: 25%
‑ South Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina: 30%
- Indonesia: 32%
‑ Bangladesh, Serbia: 35%
‑ Thailand and Cambodia: 36%
- Laos and Myanmar: 40%
- Brazil: 50%
• Overlay rules: levied in parallel with the existing Section 232 tariffs in multiple industries; if it is determined that tax evasion occurs by transshipping through a third country, the tax rate will be further increased.

2. Section 232 Copper Tariffs
• A uniform 50% tariff will be imposed on imported copper (including copper materials and copper products), effective date: 2025-08-01.

3. China (including Hong Kong and Macau) will recover 34% upon maturity
• The temporary exemption expires on August 11, 2025; if there is no new announcement, the 34% tariff will be restored from August 12.

4. Potential new tariffs on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, drones, etc.
• The President has instructed USTR to initiate a 301 or 232 investigation, but made it clear that “it will not take effect immediately on August 1st” and will be left to subsequent executive order.

2. China

1. Pilot program for self-service query and printing of customs documents
• Implementation date: 2025-08-01
• Content: Self-service inquiry and printing of customs declaration documents and electronic data are available at Beijing, Manchuria, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Qingdao, Changsha, Guangzhou, Huangpu, Haikou and Nanning Customs; these documents have the same validity as those issued by the customs archives department.

2. Export Controls on Dual-Use Items to the United States (Ongoing)
• Ministry of Commerce Announcement 2025-01: Gallium, germanium, antimony, superhard materials, graphite, etc. require end-user review and will continue to be implemented according to this standard from August (not a "new regulation", but an important restriction that remains effective in August).

3. Canada

1. The United States will impose a 35% tariff on Canadian goods starting August 1 (confirmed by Trump in a telephone interview on July 10).
• Canada has stated that it “will resolutely fight back,” but specific countermeasures are yet to be announced.

4. Mexico

1. Provisional tariffs on textiles from non-FTA countries
• Already implemented since 2024-12-20, but still in effect until 2025-08-01:
‑ 35% tariff on more than 100 types of textile products
- 15% tariff on 17 categories of textiles
• Applicable to: Countries that do not have FTAs with Mexico (including some Asian and African countries).

2. Cross-border e-commerce 16% VAT
• Effective from January 1, 2025, and continuing in August: Foreign e-commerce companies must register for a Mexican RFC tax number and file monthly returns.

5. Germany

The new battery law will be fully implemented on August 18

• It replaces the old regulations and requires all battery sellers (including cross-border e-commerce) to register and provide a battery law registration number, otherwise the products will be removed from the shelves.

• Foreign manufacturers must designate a German authorized representative to ensure compliance; the recycling rate of used batteries must reach more than 50%.

6. India

1. Extension of import license for computer products
• The 2024 extension measures will last until 2025-12-31 and will still be implemented in August: laptops, tablets, and servers must apply for import licenses in advance.

7. Indonesia

E-commerce sellers with an annual turnover exceeding 500 million rupiah are required to pay income tax

The Indonesian Ministry of Finance has officially issued "Minister of Finance Regulation No. 37/2025," which clarifies that sellers selling goods through e-commerce platforms will be subject to a 0.5% tax rate, as stipulated in Article 22 of the Income Tax (PPh). This rate applies to sellers with an annual turnover exceeding 500 million rupiah (approximately US$32,000). This rate is in addition to Value Added Tax (PPN) and the Luxury Goods Sales Tax (PPnBM). The new regulations officially took effect on July 14, 2025.

8. Vietnam

Vietnam Customs' new regulations will automatically levy VAT on low-value imported goods

Vietnam Customs will officially implement Notice No. 29/2025/TT-BTC from August 1, 2025, to start the automated value-added tax (VAT) collection process for express import goods with a value of less than 1 million Vietnamese dong (about RMB 300).

9. Colombia

1. New Customs Law
• Effective: 2025 (no specific date is specified, but official documents state “effective in 2025” and implementation started on August 1, 2025)
• Requirements: Imported goods must be electronically declared 48 hours before entering the country.

10. Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)

1. Anti-dumping duties on Chinese seamless steel pipes extended
• Extended to 2025-09-24, the tax rate is 15.50%, and will continue to be effective in August.

11. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Unified Update

1. Saudi Arabia SABER certification upgrade
• Implementation throughout 2025, with no changes in August: All goods exported to Saudi Arabia must obtain PCoC+SCoC, and alternative certification for low-risk products will be cancelled.

2. Saudi Arabia imposes anti-dumping duties of 18.12%-34% on Chinese sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde (5-year term, to be levied from 2025 to August).

3. Bahrain’s Medical Device/Laser Cosmetic Product Licensing System
• Requirement for the entire year of 2025: Contact lenses and medical devices must be approved by the NHRA and sold only by licensed institutions.

12. Belarus

1. Mandatory energy efficiency labeling
• Effective from January 3, 2025, and continuing in August: Four categories of electrical appliances, including refrigerators, washing machines, and lighting, must obtain energy efficiency certificates.

Kind tips
1. The above provisions are all measures that have been "published and locked in the effective date of August 1, 2025" or "are still in effect in August."
2. There is a possibility of additional executive orders or technical details being implemented in some areas of the US (especially Section 232 and potential industrial tariffs). Companies should continue to monitor the Federal Register and the USTR official website.
3. To confirm whether a specific HS code is on the list, please refer to the official tax code comparison table of each country's customs/tariff committee.