Wine & Spirits Shippers Association Blog

Canada Tariff Deadline August 19: Talks Intensify, No Deal Yet With five days left before the 50% tariff on many Canadian products, including beverage alcohol, negotiations are happening daily but no news on any agreement as of yet. Canada is reportedly willing to end provincial bans on U.S. alcohol sales, ease its retaliatory auto tariffs,…

Typhoon Dolphin made landfall on China’s eastern coast on August 9, the third and strongest tropical storm to hit the region in the past five weeks and has left more than 2.4 million TEU of containership capacity stranded as vessels seek shelter outside the storm’s path. Ningbo and Shanghai have been hit hardest, with terminal…

Canada Tariff Deadline: Talks Have Stalled — Consider Moving Up ShipmentsWith the August 19 deadline for the 50% tariff on Canadian alcohol, dairy, and autos getting closer, there’s no real progress to report and talks this week produced no significant developments, but negotiators remain focused on reaching a deal. Sen. Collins (R-ME) has requested further review,…

Canadian trade officials, led by Minsister Dominic LeBlanc, continue talks in Washington DC with U.S. negotiators to work toward an agreement to avert the 50% tariffs scheduled to take effect on August 19. The ban on US alcoholic beverage from most Canadian provinces is one of the core disputes. Unlike past Canada tariffs, this one…

The EU has agreed to indefinitely suspend retaliatory tariffs on distilled spirits, wine and used barrels. These tariffs were scheduled to go into effect on August 6 at levels of 30% on wine and distilled spirits, and 25% on used barrels. In a formal announcement on July 31, the EU announced that they will not…

Section 301 Forced-Labor Tariffs: First Lawsuits FiledThe Section 301 tariffs set at 10% or 12.5% that took effect July 24 are now facing legal challenges. Once again, the Liberty Justice Center is the leader in the fight against unjust tariffs. Multiple lawsuits have been filed, with the key argument that the administration was motivated primarily to…

The Mendoza-Chile border crossing remains closed due to adverse weather in the high mountain area, and the latest forecast indicates it will stay closed throughout next week. As a result, with around 1,500 trucks currently waiting to cross, we now expect pending cargo in Argentina to load only on vessels with an ETD in week…

Major highways and motorways across Spain remain fully open, with long-distance transport moving smoothly and no significant delays on main routes. However, local authorities have closed at least 46 secondary and regional roads due to fire and heavy smoke, creating access challenges in the provinces of Guadalajara, Ávila, Toledo, Madrid, and Castellón. Our operations team…

Section 301 Forced-Labor Tariffs: Final Action Now in Effect USTR published its final Section 301 forced-labor determination on July 23, and CBP confirmed implementation the same day (CSMS #69326983). The new duties apply to entries for consumption on or after 12:01am ET July 24, at precisely the same time the Section 122 tariffs expired. There…

Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs Take Effect July 24USTR published its final action on July 23, 2026, imposing Section 301 tariffs on 60 trading partners. CBP confirmed implementation the same day in CSMS #69326983. Per the Federal Register notice, the additional duties apply to products “entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on…