Trump Announces New Global Tariff Rates: Last night, July 31, President Donald Trump announced a set of executive orders imposing new reciprocal tariffs on more than 67 countries that are expected to go into effect starting August 7. In this Executive Order, Annex I outlines all the newly adjusted reciprocal tariff rates. Countries not listed in Annex I will be subject to a baseline 10% tariff, as before. Additionally, Trump outlined several different caveats regarding tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and Brazil. The White House announced that the U.S. will be increasing the tariff on Canadian goods from 25% to 35% in response to Canada’s lack of engagement in negotiation efforts. Although goods qualifying for preferential tariff treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) still continue to remain not subject to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) Canada tariffs. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Trump reached an agreement to extend the reciprocal tariff deadline for another 90 days, in conjunction with Mexico still having to pay a 25% Fentanyl Tariff, 25% Tariff on Cars, and 50% Tariff on Steel, Aluminum, and Copper. With regards to Brazil, Trump signed an Executive Order implementing an additional 40% tariff on Brazil, bringing the total duty on imported goods from Brazil to 50%. For more information, you can visit the White House’s landing page that is updated daily here.

Senate Ag Holds Hearing to Review USDA Reorganization: On Wednesday, July 30, the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee held a hearing to review the recently announced large-scale reorganization of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), featuring testimony from Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden. USDA’s plan intends to relocate employees within the National Capital Region (NCR) footprint to five hub locations, which include: Fort Collins, Colorado; Raleigh, North Carolina; Salt Lake City, Utah; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Kansas City, Missouri. During the hearing, Republicans and Democrats both agreed on the importance of ensuring USDA reorganization does not disrupt essential services or negatively impact employees. Republicans focused on cost savings, efficiency, and bringing USDA operations closer to rural communities, emphasizing benefits such as lower cost of living and improved customer service. Democrats concentrated on the consultation process, potential impacts on research, workforce stability, and equitable service delivery, raising concerns about transparency and local input. Other topics discussed included facility impacts in specific states, union engagement, disaster funding, civil rights considerations, and the need for ongoing congressional oversight and stakeholder feedback during implementation. You can find the Secretary’s official memorandum here and watch the full hearing here.

Senate Confirms Tyler Clarkson as USDA General Counsel: On Thursday, July 31, the Senate voted along party lines (52-45) to confirm Mr. Tyler Clarkson as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) General Counsel. Clarkson now joins USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden as the only USDA nominees to clear the Senate confirmation process thus far. As the newly instated general counsel, Clarkson will likely play a large role in helping the Department carry out its reorganization plan to relocate Washington area USDA employees. Several other USDA Under Secretary nominees still remain in the growing queue to be confirmed and likely will not see votes until after the August recess.