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guidance, if you have a product subject to the steel and aluminum tariffs, you won't be sub- ject to the reciprocal tariff. Look at your imports. Make sure you square away your classification compliance. Your countries of origin matter with some of these new tariffs. It's worth taking a closer look to see if you can lower your products' import val- ues and potentially lower your tariff exposure. en, work carefully with your compliance partners, brokers, consultants, and counsel. LaRont: What are the five areas every company should look at as they create an action plan? First, understand your import profile and assess your tariff exposure using your import data, which is stored in a system called ACE that CBP maintains and every importer can access. Second, figure out your biggest risk areas in terms of countries and products, and if there is a way to mitigate those tariffs. Some can be avoided through certain duty savings programs. ird, monitor what's happening. ings change daily. ere are many resources avail- able. Our firm puts out a monthly newslet- ter on trade and tariff development. Look for new investigation announcements and new tariff actions. Fourth, if you're a larger company with many different stakeholders, train your in- house folks. Customs compliance is usually a team effort. You may have a customs compli- ance or trade compliance department. ey should work closely with purchasing, finance, and legal to create an effective tariff response. Fih, engage in government advocacy. For example, you could speak to your congressio- nal representatives to explain the impact of these tariffs on your domestic business. Ensure you represent your interests clearly and make your voice heard. Johnson: Very well said, James. It reminds me that, if you don't already know your business that well, you should. Exactly. Know your business, know the prod- ucts you're importing. at's where the dif- ficulty lies. Let's say you have a trade compli- ance director. ey may not have full visibil- ity into the items you're importing, or they may not understand them on a technical level, which is important for many reasons, including how your products are classified. e classifi- cation being used for your imports oen deter- mines whether you're eligible for exemptions or if you're subject to the tariff to begin with. Understanding exactly what you're importing and looping in the right folks is key. JUNE 2025 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 31