In this week’s Roar: Asia-U.S. ocean rates are up, a new world order for supply chains, getting the U.S. and Mexico aligned on China tariffs, the latest on the UP and NS merger, and a U.S.-backed container shipping line. It’s not just fuel costs. The impact of geopolitics on Asia-U.S. ocean shipping rates has been harsh, too. Rates have surged by 234% since February, largely thanks to the Iran conflict and new tariffs. Even though some rates appear to be slightly softening, down...

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As I write, we have entered another reprieve in the conflict with Iran, as President Trump suggested over the weekend that regional lobbying convinced him to start another round of diplomacy to try for a deal. More likely its low approval ratings, continued high refined fuel prices and other political pressure. Market hope springs eternal. Crude oil prices sold off sharply, likely helped by light volumes in early hours of Asian trading, extending some easing from last week when a...

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The new import ban adds medium-term uncertainty to clean power supply chains. Existing approved inverters are unaffected, but new foreign imports will be blocked. The measure could raise costs and further complicate supply chain strategies, but without materially altering the US renewables outlook. The US clean power supply chain, already under strain, is facing another headwind. As solar and battery project developers grapple with tariffs and foreign entity of concern (FEOC) requirements to maintain tax-credit eligibility, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced...

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How USTR’s forced labor Section 301 tariffs impact entry filers If you went home Thursday evening with a clean entry-summary queue, you came back Friday to a different tariff schedule. Overview On Friday, July 24, 2026, the U.S. Trade Representative’s final action took effect for 60 parallel investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. The theory of the case was unusual, as USTR targeted the failure of each trading partner to impose and effectively enforce its own ban...

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In this week’s Roar: Many new tariffs, a glimmer of stability for global ocean routes, a drop in air cargo volumes, oil prices on the rise again, and how industry leaders can avoid common AI pitfalls. U.S. tariff actions are spiking again. Friday, as Section 122 tariffs expired, new duties of up to 12.5% were slapped on 60 trading partners that account for 99% of U.S. imports. The new Section 301 tariffs are justified as part of policy related to a U.S. forced...

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Key Points President Trump’s July 20, 2026, proclamation allows companies that commit to building or expanding U.S. primary aluminum facilities to import a matching quantity of primary aluminum at half the otherwise-applicable Section 232 duty rate. The aluminum onshoring incentive does not reduce Section 232 rates generally — benefits are firm-specific and quantity-limited, and construction on qualifying facilities must begin by January 20, 2029. A companion executive order requires the Secretary of Defense/War and military department secretaries to cease...

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On July 23, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced in a Notice of Action its final action in the Section 301 investigation of 60 economies for “their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.”  Under Section 301 of the Tariff Act of 1974, the USTR has made the following determinations: 10 percent is the appropriate rate of Section 301 duties for investigated economies that (i) impose a...

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