How to Find Duty Savings in a Tariff War
Supply Chain Unchained
A US customs attorney and trade compliance expert breaks down the tariff chaos, what importers are getting wrong, and where the real duty savings are hiding.
The US tariff environment has never been more complex or more fast-moving. New duties are being announced almost daily, classifications are being missed, and importers who aren’t on top of their data are being caught out with unexpected costs, delays and potential penalties.
In this episode, Greg sits down with Lowell de France, Director of Trade and Customs Compliance at Navia’s Chicago office, attorney, licensed customs broker, and one of the sharper minds working at the intersection of trade law and data. Lowell walks through what’s happening right now, what importers should be doing about it, and why the companies that invest in granular supply chain data today will have a significant cost advantage tomorrow.
What We Cover
- How the US tariff environment has changed dramatically, with multiple Section 232 duties and IEEPA reciprocal tariffs now stacking on top of each other
- Why misclassification is rampant right now, including goods being hit with auto part tariffs when they are not auto parts
- How Lowell’s team manages the constant changes, pulling Federal Register announcements, matching tariff numbers against client databases and updating in near real time
- Why customs systems haven’t been able to keep up with the pace of change, and what that means for penalties and compliance risk
- The pivotal moment in Lowell’s career, studying law and realising how deeply intertwined international trade agreements and domestic US law really are
- Why the current tariff environment is likely a blip rather than a permanent shift, and why long-term the direction of global trade remains toward liberalisation
- Supply chain diversification as the new imperative, why single-source dependency is now a serious strategic risk
- How importers with US-origin components in their products can reduce reciprocal duties right now, if they have the data to prove it
- Why most importers don’t have that granular data yet, and what it takes to start collecting it through supplier partnerships
- The growing role of AI in auditing tariff data and surfacing duty savings opportunities
Guest
Lowell de France
Director of Trade and Customs Compliance, Navia (Chicago)
Licensed US Customs Broker and Attorney (Illinois Bar)
“There’s a lot of duty savings out there available for people if they get their data down and can track every part of their supply chain.”
Lowell de France, Director of Trade and Customs Compliance, Navia
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