Importers Could Hit Another Tariff Snag with Shutdown (1)

Manufacturers and importers seeking Commerce Department exclusions from steel and aluminum tariffs will face additional delays if there is a partial government shutdown.

Employees working on a separate Office of the U.S. Trade Representative process for granting exemptions from tariffs would not be affected by the shutdown, a House staffer told Bloomberg Law in an email. But since they also rely on U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the work it is unclear whether that assistance would be impacted, he said. So far, USTR has not granted any exemptions.

Commerce’s work on a new online portal to streamline the exclusion ...