United States and Jordan Sign Reciprocal Trade Agreement
On July 21, 2026, the United States and Jordan signed a reciprocal trade agreement under which Jordan will receive a preferential 10% U.S. tariff rate, rather than the higher 12.5% rate that may apply to certain countries under the forthcoming forced labor tariff regime. Under the agreement, Jordan will continue to provide duty-free access for nearly all U.S. goods and has committed to removing trade barriers affecting U.S. exporters, including U.S. agricultural products and motor vehicles. Jordan also agreed to strengthen environmental and labor protections, enhance intellectual property enforcement, improve customs procedures, and cooperate with the United States on investment security, export controls, supply chain resilience, and efforts to address non-market policies of third countries and duty evasion. According to the White House, the agreement is expected to expand opportunities for U.S. manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, and other producers. Jordan, in turn, is expected to benefit from enhanced access to the U.S. market through the reduced tariff rate, which may improve the competitiveness of Jordanian exports, particularly in the garment and textile sector, attract additional foreign investment, and support job creation. For a more detailed overview of the agreement, please refer to the full text of the agreement as well as the White House fact sheet.
U.S. Senate Confirms Kara Westercamp to U.S. Court of International Trade
On July 21, 2026, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kara Westercamp to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT). Westercamp most recently served as Associate Counsel to the President and previously spent more than a decade with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Commercial Litigation Branch. During her confirmation process, questions were raised regarding certain past social media posts, which she stated she regretted and would not affect her ability to serve as an impartial judge.
USITC Announces Brett Doyle as Chairman
On July 20, 2026, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) issued a press release that President Trump designated Commissioner Brett Doyle as Chairman of the USITC for a term expiring June 16, 2028. Doyle was sworn in as a Commissioner on July 17, 2026, following his confirmation by the U.S. Senate on July 16, 2026. Prior to joining the Commission, Doyle served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Congressional Affairs. The USITC is an independent federal agency responsible for administering U.S. trade remedy laws, investigating unfair import practices, maintaining the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, and providing trade-related analysis and advice to Congress and the President.
CIT Challenge Already Filed Against New Section 301 Forced Labor Tariffs
The latest Section 301 Forced Labor tariffs, which took effect on July 24, 2026, have already been challenged in court. On the same day the tariffs took effect, Burlap and Barrel, Inc. and Collective Horology LLC filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging the measures, which impose 10% or 12.5% tariffs on imports from 60 economies and impact approximately 99.4% of all goods imported into the United States. The plaintiffs argue that Trade Representative exceeded its statutory authority by transforming Section 301, historically a targeted trade remedy, into a mechanism for imposing near-universal tariffs based on alleged failures by foreign governments to prohibit forced labor. The complaint also contends that the agency’s 133-day rulemaking process was arbitrary and capricious and that interpreting Section 301 to authorize such broad tariff authority would constitute an unconstitutional delegation of Congress’s exclusive power to impose taxes and duties. The lawsuit marks the latest in a series of legal challenges to expansive executive-branch tariff actions and will be closely watched by importers affected by the new measures.