Trinidad ammonia, urea exempt from US tariff

The Section 301 case, launched by USTR on 12 March 2026, examined 60 of America’s largest trading partners for failing to prohibit and effectively enforce a ban on imports of goods produced with forced labour. The US president issued a memorandum on 23 July directing USTR to impose Section 301 tariffs of either 10% or 12.5% on the investigated economies, with the additional duty taking effect on 24 July. Rates applied at country level: Trinidad and Tobago, along with 16 others including Canada, India, Mexico and the United Kingdom, was placed in the 10% band; most of the remaining economies, including the European Union, China, Brazil and Australia, face 12.5%.

The exemptions, by contrast, apply to specific products regardless of country of origin. USTR set them out in Annexes I and II to the final action notice, using rationales that include: raw materials whose tariffing could disrupt domestic supply, products that could cause economy-wide disruption if tariffed, and products that cannot be sourced in sufficient quantities or at reasonable prices from the United States or elsewhere. Chemical elements and compounds — with ammonia and other inorganic and organic chemicals listed by name — are among the general product categories carved out. Alongside them: crude petroleum, natural gas, petroleum gases, ferroalloys and ferrous products from direct reduction, iron and steel scrap, ores and concentrates, and pharmaceutical, semiconductor, aircraft and cultural goods.