U.S. Trade Trends According to CBP: 2025 Snapshot

The latest CBP trade statistics reveal significant shifts in the value of trade-remedy duties assessed, reflecting evolving U.S. trade policy and enforcement actions under several statutes.

Trade Policy Impact on Tariff Revenue

• Under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which addresses national security–related tariffs, duties collected on certain imports have jumped substantially in FY 2025 compared with prior years. For example:
  • Steel imports under Section 232 brought in US$ 4.83 billion in assessed duties during FY 2025, up from US$ 1.22 billion in FY 2024.
  • Aluminum imports under Section 232 yielded US$ 2.96 billion in FY 2025, compared with only US$ 389 million in FY 2024.
  • Automobile imports (a new Section 232 category effective April 3, 2025) reached US$ 18.33 billion.
  • Automobile parts, under new Section 232 tariffs effective May 3, 2025, accrued US$ 7.61 billion in FY 2025.
  • Copper (newly under Section 232 as of August 1, 2025) already contributed US$ 513.8 million in duties.
• For ongoing trade-remedy programs: Duties on imports under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (targeting certain “China Products”) remained substantial: about US$ 35.05 billion in FY 2025.
• Under International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), covering China & Hong Kong since February 2025, the assessed duties for all covered goods amounted to US$ 28.92 billion.

CBP Trade Enforcement Trends

CBP is broadening its enforcement scope with its rising activity.  Beyond simply counting duties and taxes, the agency is increasingly focused on identifying prohibited or mis-declared merchandise, intellectual property (IP) violations, forced labor concerns, and tariff evasion.

CBP’s mandate has historically aimed to balance facilitation of legitimate trade with enforcement of customs and related laws. Recent trends show that facilitation efforts (such as modernization of processing systems and data portals) are running in tandem with stepped-up enforcement drills.  Although the total number of importer audits has gradually declined since FY 2021, the trend suggests CBP is becoming more selective and risk-focused in its audit activity rather than reducing enforcement overall.

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