Tax & Trade Blog

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DUTY DRAWBACK UPDATE

DUTY DRAWBACK AN IMPORTANT OPTION IN CURRENT TRADE WAR

Since we last wrote about duty drawback, there have been significant developments in the trade war between Canada and the United States (“US”).  Canada has enacted three rounds of retaliatory tariffs, while the US has also imposed a number of different tariffs, with the most recent being President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

Amid this escalating trade war with no end in sight, businesses should consider duty drawback as a mechanism to mitigate the impact of tariffs and obtain legal advice to determine eligibility.

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TRUMP TARIFFS & CANADIAN MADE CARS

HARD TIMES REVING UP FOR CANADIAN AUTOMOTIVE SECTOR

On Wednesday March 25^th, the President signed a proclamation which invoked s. 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, s. 604 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 301 title 3 of the U.S. Code.  This new Executive Order has imposed a 25% tariff on imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts. 

What is a tariff?

A tariff is a duty imposed on the import of goods into a country, usually at a stated percentage, with the importer charged the corresponding amount based on the "value for duty" of the good.  A 25% tariff on a $50,000 car is $12,500.  Tariffs, if paid by a wholesaler or retainer are usually passed on down the supply chain and borne by the final consumer.  In that sense, a tariff functions like a tax; the government imposes a price on goods making those goods more expensive.  The hope is that by increasing the price of foreign goods, citizens will purchase homegrown alternatives.