The appeals court tariff update matters because duties are still being collected today while litigation continues. On August 29, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that broad IEEPA-based tariffs were unlawful, but left them temporarily in place while the government seeks Supreme Court review—creating a “collect now, decide later” environment for importers. A final resolution (and any refund mechanics) could shift again, so your playbook needs to be practical, compliant, and fast.
What changed—and what didn’t
- Ruling: The Federal Circuit agreed that IEEPA doesn’t authorize sweeping, open-ended tariffs; the decision echoes earlier findings at the CIT.
- Status quo—for now: The court stayed its own ruling to allow an appeal; tariffs remain in force until at least mid-October (or further order). Earlier this summer, the court had already allowed tariffs to stay in effect during the appeal.
- Other tariff actions: 2025 executive orders on “reciprocal tariffs” have been narrowed by White House clarifications identifying certain exceptions (e.g., specified semiconductor HTS lines). However, most importers should still plan on the current duty burden.
What this means for Everglory shippers—by service line
International Freight Forwarding (Air & Ocean)
- Space & mode choices: Use Everglory’s buyers’/destination consolidations, express/deferred air tiers, and cross-trade to balance landed cost against duty exposure and transit time.
- Routing discipline: Maintain consistent origin information and carrier routings to avoid accidental country-of-origin pitfalls while litigation is unresolved.
- Booking rhythm: Coordinate earlier for peak weeks; our teams can advise when express vs. standard air levels make sense as tariffs continue to accrue.
Customs Brokerage
- Classification & COO reviews: Refresh HTS and origin determinations for your top SKUs; errors cost more when rates are elevated.
- ACE entry timing: Ensure complete entry packets before arrival to reduce holds, exams, and storage—Everglory files are in ACE, and PGAs are handled daily.
- Recovery options: Map products potentially covered by any future relief; keep proof of payment/entry data tidy if refunds are authorized later. (Earlier court notices contemplated injunctions and stays—paperwork discipline is your safety net.)
3PL & Warehousing
- Inventory positioning: Use Everglory U.S./Asia facilities to stage product, throttle releases, and ship on demand while you reassess duty exposure and pricing.
- Bonded options and WMS visibility: Explore bonded storage where appropriate, and view status and movements through Everglory’s integrated WMS.
Domestic Transportation
- First/last-mile reliability: With tariffs intact, missed cutoffs add preventable cost. We align specialized equipment and compliant carriers for expedited or standard LTL/FTL.
How to work with our local teams this week
- Boston (Headquarters): 617-567-5500—Northeast gateway bookings & compliance questions.
- Chicago: 847-439-0645—Midwest consolidations and CFS schedules.
- Los Angeles: 424-260-9350—Trans-Pacific sailings/airlift, cutoffs, and terminal advisories.
- Atlanta: 404-767-3838—Southeast distribution, last-mile coordination, and escalation support.
Tip: Call your local office for port/terminal cutoff specifics for week-of shipments and any CBP/airline document timing advisories tied to your lane. (Cutoffs vary by carrier and gateway; our ops will confirm your exact window.)
Practical next steps (simple checklist)
- Reprice landed cost scenarios with current rates; don’t assume near-term relief.
- Tighten HTS/COO documentation and keep entry packets audit-ready.
- Leverage consolidation to lower handling & clearance costs.
- Stage inventory smartly in the U.S./Asia to buffer volatility.
- Monitor policy signals on EO exceptions and any Supreme Court action.
Until the Supreme Court speaks, the appeals court tariff update leaves duties in place. Everglory’s integrated forwarding, customs, 3PL, and domestic teams are structured to help you keep freight moving, costs transparent, and paperwork airtight.
If you want a concrete, lane-by-lane plan for the next 30–60 days, connect with Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, or Atlanta today. We’ll confirm carrier cutoffs, align routing and entries, and give you a clean decision memo for your finance team—so you can keep selling while Washington keeps arguing.
