Tariff Deadlines, Customs Audits Is Dicey Combo for US Importers

US businesses are under mounting pressure to import goods while President Donald Trump’s higher tariffs are on pause, and they’re simultaneously navigating increasingly complex filing rules when their cargo crosses the border.

Two de facto deadlines loom for companies that rely on foreign products: the estimated end of a 90-day suspension of Trump’s so-called reciprocal tariffs in mid-July, and another in mid-August, when a separate truce of the same length expires for China. If either lapses without a deal or postponement, tariff bills could skyrocket.

“Everybody’s in agreement about these next two to four weeks being crunch time,” said ...