Last week, multiple countries rolled out tighter trade controls one after another.

On July 28, the U.S. Senate passed a procedural vote to kick off deliberations on new sanctions bills targeting Russia and Iran. If enacted, the U.S. may impose secondary tariffs of up to 100% on major importers of Russian oil and gas, putting countries including China and India under potential trade pressure.

Bloomberg reported on July 26 that the United States is pushing Mexico to levy tariffs on steel and aluminium from outside North America. The aim is to build unified trade barriers within the USMCA bloc and block Chinese steel and aluminium from entering the North American market.

Pakistan has also ramped up trade remedy probes, launching multiple anti-dumping investigations into Chinese ceramic tableware, composite aluminium foil, ibuprofen, soda ash and other goods spanning construction materials, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and packaging sectors.

Enterprises should track tariff adjustments closely and proactively optimize product classification, origin certification and supply chain arrangements to mitigate risks brought by shifting trade policies.