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Navigating China “Nearshoring” to North America?

by Dave Akers, IHSA "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Ancient Chinese proverb, Lao Tzu Most of us have heard this (translated) Ancient Chinese proverb, but the Chinese have adopted this ancient proverb. The essential concept of this proverb is that huge goals must be broken down into smaller, manageable parts and that it can be applied to all…

Potential IEEPA Tariff Refunds

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Nov. 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments on whether the Trump Administration can use the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose “reciprocal tariffs” on some 200 countries and “fentanyl tariffs” on Canada, Mexico and China. The tariff cases, Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v.…

Navigating Decarbonization of Ocean Shipping

by Dave Akers, IHSA "In a huge step toward our 2050 carbon neutrality goal, the company has declared war on the office thermostat" - Unknown The decarbonization of ocean shipping is a critical global effort of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce the maritime industry's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by or…

November Trade and Tariff Updates

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — This edition reviews trade agreements from President Trump’s Asia trip; a new investigation into China’s compliance with previous agreements; adding more International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) tariff exemptions; and recent Senate votes rejecting President Trump’s tariffs. President Trump’s Asia Trade Agreements President…

Navigating SCOTUS and POTUS Tariff Legality

by Dave Akers, IHSA A federal appeals court ruling that said the President does not have authority to impose broad tariffs, has introduced significant uncertainty into the U.S. tariff landscape. "Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation." – Milton Friedman Here's a breakdown of the current situation and its impact on the global…

The Government Shutdown and Federal Programs

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On Sept. 18, House Republicans passed a “clean” continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government funded at Fiscal Year 2025 levels from Sept. 30 – Nov. 21 in order to finish the 12 separate appropriations bills for FY26. On Sept. 19, the CR failed to get the votes needed in the Senate and a competing Democrat bill with some $1.5…

September Tariff Updates

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — Tariff updates since IHA’s August Government Affairs blog include a court decision on IEEPA tariffs, more steel and aluminum tariff categories, steeper tariffs for products from India, an extended China tariff deadline, and progress for the U.S.–European Union (EU) trade deal. Legal Challenge to IEEPA Tariffs As explained in the…

The Changing Tide of U.S. Port Fees on Chinese Vessels

by Dave Akers, IHSA The U.S. government is implementing new port fees on Chinese-built, owned, and operated vessels, a policy aimed at reducing U.S. reliance on Chinese maritime assets and stimulating the domestic shipbuilding industry. These fees, which are scheduled to begin on October 14, 2025, are creating a significant challenge for the entire supply chain. As a result,…

August Tariff Roundup

by Craig Brightup, The Brightup Group — On July 31, President Trump announced new reciprocal tariffs on some 70 countries effective on August 7. The following list (Annex 1) is linked to the Executive Order: The European Union and Vietnam On July 28, President Trump announced a trade deal with the European Union, which agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy…