US reciprocal tariffs of April 2025: how to quote and compare packaging components

On 2 April 2025 the US President signed Executive Order 14257, imposing an additional 10% ad valorem duty on most imports from 12:01 a.m. EDT on 5 April 2025 and higher country-specific rates from 9 April. A week later, Executive Order 14266 suspended the country-specific rates for trading partners other than China for 90 days, from 10 April to 9 July 2025, applying 10% in their place, and raised the reciprocal rate on goods from China from 84% to 125%. Türkiye appeared on the White House list at 10%, as Hürriyet Daily News reported on 3 April 2025.

For a US buyer of packaging components, a quotation received in March 2025 may still describe the product correctly and the landed cost incorrectly. This guide sets out how to request quotations that stay comparable while duty rates are moving.

First, work out which tariff applies to which line

Section 3(b) of Executive Order 14257 excludes articles and derivatives of steel and aluminium that are subject to Section 232 duties. From 12 March 2025 the Section 232 steel duty has applied at 25% to all countries. The first question for a strapping order is therefore not “what is the reciprocal rate?” but “which regime covers each line?”

Item	Typical material	Question for your customs broker
Steel strap	Flat-rolled steel	Is it a Section 232 steel article under its HTSUS code?
Steel strapping seals	Steel sheet, often galvanized	Is the code covered as a steel article or a listed derivative?
Wire buckles and sheet metal clips	Steel wire or sheet	Is the code on the derivative list, or does the reciprocal duty apply?
PET strap	Polyester	Reciprocal duty at the rate for the country of origin
Woven strap	Woven polyester	Reciprocal duty at the rate for the country of origin

Classification is the importer’s responsibility. Ask the broker to confirm each code before comparing offers, because two suppliers can quote the same component on different assumptions. The material alone does not settle it: in ruling N079342 of October 2009, CBP classified a galvanized steel push-type strapping seal under subheading 8309.90.00, which covers seals and other packing accessories of base metal, rather than in the steel chapters. Whether such a code is on the Section 232 derivative list is exactly the question to put to the broker.

Put the duty allocation into the quotation

The Incoterms rule determines who clears the goods for import and who pays the duty. The International Chamber of Commerce guide of 24 April 2025 makes the point that Incoterms rules do not set tariffs or govern customs procedures, but they do allocate responsibilities between buyer and seller. That allocation is exactly what matters when rates change at short notice.

Under DDP, the seller takes on the import duty at destination. In April 2025 that means the seller is pricing a rate that could change before the goods arrive; expect either a risk margin or a request to reopen the price. Under rules such as FCA or DAP, the buyer clears the goods and pays the duty. The supplier’s price then stays comparable, and the tariff calculation sits with the party holding the customs data.

Whichever rule you choose, ask for these points in writing:

• Incoterms 2020 rule and named place. For example, the port or the address where delivery takes place.
• Duty statement. Whether US duties and fees are included, excluded or passed through at cost.
• Validity. A short, explicit validity period and the date on which the price was calculated.
• Loading date. The planned loading date and how a delay will be handled.

Shipment dates belong in the price discussion

Executive Order 14257 exempts goods that were loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before the relevant effective time; ask your broker which entry conditions apply to a given shipment. Executive Order 14266 sets 9 July 2025 as the end of the suspension period. A purchase order placed in late April for goods leaving in June may cross a date on which the applicable rate could change.

Ask suppliers for realistic production and loading dates rather than optimistic ones, and keep the bill of lading date with the customs file. If someone proposes splitting a shipment to beat a deadline, treat it as a commercial decision with its own freight and handling costs, not as a free saving.

Request the data your broker will need

For every line, ask the supplier to provide:

1. A product description that matches the commercial invoice and packing list.
2. A proposed HTSUS code, for your broker to check.
3. The country of origin of the finished item.
4. For steel items, the country where the steel was melted and poured. In CSMS 64348411 of 7 March 2025, US Customs and Border Protection made that report mandatory for steel and steel derivatives.
5. Net and gross weight per carton or roll, and the number of pieces per carton.

Compare offers on the same basis

Before comparing prices, normalise every quotation: the same Incoterms rule, the same unit (per piece and per carton), the same duty treatment and the same validity date. A low DDP price built on an old duty rate is not cheaper than a higher FCA price. It is a different allocation of risk, and possibly one the supplier cannot sustain.

Also separate the steel and polyester lines in your comparison. A supplier offering a complete strapping system may quote one total, but the lines can fall under different tariff regimes, and the comparison only works when each is visible.

Keep the lines separate in the enquiry

When a US order combines steel closures and polyester strap, list each line separately with its dimensions and quantity. The steel strapping seal, galvanized wire buckle and PET strap pages show the details to include; send the destination, preferred Incoterms rule and quantities through the enquiry page.