The Government Circuit: Three Inescapable Conclusions About Global Trade Policies
Global Citizenship: The Global Push for Digital Inclusion
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Addressing End-of-life Component Solderability Issues, Part 4
Tariffs and Trade Wars: What to Expect in 2025
January 21, 2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 1 minute
James Kim is an international trade lawyer at ArentFox Schiff who keeps his thumb on the pulse of customs enforcement and import compliance. With a new administration taking over just days from now, James weighs in on the potential risks of international tariffs, some possible workarounds, and why this topic should be No. 1 on your list of concerns.
Marcy LaRont: James, with a new administration, there has been a lot of talk about tariffs. What do you expect?
James Kim: Speculation is rampant, something we saw with Donald Trump’s first term. He would make off-the-cuff remarks or threaten some sort of tariff action. Sometimes, it played out that way, but a lot of times, it didn’t.
Last time, he talked about imposing high tariffs on Mexican products for the same reasons he's proposing them now. His aim is to clamp down on illegal immigration and drug smuggling. Ultimately, he backed off last time from his original proposal because he was satisfied with what Mexico said it would do to address those concerns. This time he says there are major problems with illegal immigration, and he wants to shut down the border until Mexico does something about it. He’s also suggesting a 25% tariff on imports from Mexico.
He's now throwing a tariff proposal against Canada. So, we can predict something will happen. He's promised he will initiate the tariff process on Canada and Mexico as soon as he enters office. He's talked a lot about China so I would expect some action to be taken there.
We don’t know how long those tariffs will last, but we know that Trump uses them as a negotiating tactic to get these countries to make certain trade concessions and for other foreign policy aims that have nothing to do with the products on which the tariffs are being imposed. I would expect the same this time around.
Share on:
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
07/11/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineThis week, we have quite a variety of news items and articles for you. News continues to stream out of Washington, D.C., with tariffs rearing their controversial head again. Because these tariffs are targeted at overseas copper manufacturers, this news has a direct effect on our industry.I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
Trump Copper Tariffs Spark Concern
07/10/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamPresident Donald Trump stated on July 8 that he plans to impose a 50% tariff on copper imports, sparking concern in a global industry whose output is critical to electric vehicles, military hardware, semiconductors, and a wide range of consumer goods. According to Yahoo Finance, copper futures climbed over 2% following tariff confirmation.
Webinar Review: A Global Trade and Economy in Flux
07/09/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamIn a July 8 webinar, Global Electronics Association Chief Economist Shawn DuBravac provided a comprehensive analysis of the evolving international trade environment, its implications for inflation, monetary policy, and labor dynamics, and a sober assessment of market valuations. In “Navigating a Shifting Landscape” DuBravac painted a picture of a global economy in flux, where shifting trade alliances and tariff structures are redrawing the supply chain map and influencing the broader economic landscape, while also conveying an overall bullish market outlook.
IPC Update on the Latest U.S.– China Trade Announcement
06/18/2025 | IPCOn June 12, the Trump Administration announced an agreement to implement the framework of the trade deal with China reached earlier in May. Reports indicate the following high-level terms: A 55% combined tariff on imports from China, 10% “reciprocal” tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), 20% IEEPA-based fentanyl tariffs, and Existing Section 301 tariffs, which in many cases are 25%.
The Government Circuit: From Tax Policy to Tariffs, Denver to Delhi, Speaking Up for Electronics
06/18/2025 | Chris Mitchell -- Column: The Government CircuitI had the privilege of attending the June 3 opening ceremony of AT&S’s HTB3 facility in Leoben, Austria—a milestone moment for Europe’s electronics ecosystem. HTB3 is now the first and only facility in Europe capable of both developing and producing high-performance IC substrates—the advanced platforms that allow powerful chips to connect, process, and function. As demand for AI, 5G, and other cutting-edge technologies grows, so too does the need for sophisticated substrates like those HTB3 will produce.