Trump Rebuilds Global Tariff Regime Under Section 301 — Third Structural Iteration in 18 Months
Effective July 24, 2026, the Trump administration imposed 10% tariffs on approximately 60 economies that have adopted forced-labor import prohibitions, and 12.5% on those that have not, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 — covering roughly 99.4% of US imports. The duties replaced the expiring 10% Section 122 across-the-board surcharge, itself a replacement for the IEEPA "Liberation Day" re
BY FRONTIER DESK · JULY 30, 2026 · 1 MIN READ
Effective July 24, 2026, the Trump administration imposed 10% tariffs on approximately 60 economies that have adopted forced-labor import prohibitions, and 12.5% on those that have not, under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 — covering roughly 99.4% of US imports. The duties replaced the expiring 10% Section 122 across-the-board surcharge, itself a replacement for the IEEPA "Liberation Day" reciprocal tariffs that the Supreme Court struck down in February 2026. Morgan Lewis analysis (July 27) concludes the Section 301 tariffs are structurally more durable than their predecessors — Section 301 has a longer enforcement history and does not require the declaration of a national emergency — but notes the administration is simultaneously running Section 232 investigations into industrial overcapacity and a new Section 301 probe into the EU in retaliation for tech fines, signaling further tariff actions are likely. For law firms advising on cross-border trade, supply chain, or M&A: tariff volatility is now a structural feature of US trade policy, not a temporary condition. Every deal or contract with a US import nexus requires a tariff risk assessment and a contractual allocation of tariff risk going forward.