Tariff Turbulence: How Businesses are Coping with 100% Duties and Constant Change
- Schulz Trade Law
- Oct 15
- 3 min read
Tariff Turbulence
Michelle Schulz on How Businesses Are Coping with 100% Duties and Constant Change
International trade attorney Michelle Schulz explains how unpredictable tariff policies are straining U.S. importers, threatening livelihoods, and keeping compliance experts working around the clock.
October 14, 2025
POTUS Politics
SiriusXM Radio
The Briefing with Steve Scully
Host: Brian Ross
Uncertainty as the New Normal
As President Trump threatens to impose 100% tariffs on Chinese goods starting November 1, trade attorney Michelle Schulz says clients are scrambling to adapt.
“None of our clients were prepared for this,” she explained. “They’re getting kind of used to being surprised… it’s a moving target.”
Schulz described the constant shifts as a daily challenge for business owners. With policy reversals happening overnight, she tells clients to stay alert and verify the tariff rates in effect on any given day.
“We sort of expected this could change—and it did. I expect it will change again.”
Tariffs, Liability, and Survival Strategies
For many companies, the unpredictability isn’t just inconvenient—it’s existential. “In some cases, it’s even threatening the livelihood of the business itself,” Schulz said. She emphasized that importers, not foreign exporters, pay the tariffs, meaning U.S. businesses shoulder the full cost.
It’s not sustainable. It can shut down companies, and it will shut down some.”
To survive, Schulz advises clients to focus on compliance and precision. That includes properly classifying goods, determining accurate country of origin, and ensuring correct valuation to avoid overpaying—or worse, being penalized for underreporting.
“If you undervalue your goods and it’s fraudulent, you can end up with penalties two or three times the duties you owed,” she warned. “But if you correctly value your goods and the duties are lower based on customs guidance, you can get your duties down legally.”
Tracking Chaos: Tariff Maps, Bond Hikes, and Lobbying Efforts
As tariffs expand to nearly every major trade partner, Schulz’s firm is working nonstop to track changes in real time. “We use charts and spreadsheets,” she said.
“Our firm has a tariff tracker on our website, and sometimes it needs to be updated daily or hourly.”
One underreported consequence, she added, is how rising tariffs are forcing U.S. Customs to demand higher import bonds—the insurance importers must carry to guarantee duty payments.
“Customs is actively telling importers, ‘Your bond is not enough,’” she explained. “You could get a penalty for that.”
Meanwhile, some companies are fighting back.
“Larger companies are lobbying directly,” Schulz said. “Smaller ones are going through trade organizations like the American Association of Exporters and Importers, which have more push.”
Her final note:
"It’s definitely exciting, and it’s never a dull moment. But no one can predict what’s next—except that it will change.”
With tariff policies shifting by the hour, accurate information and strategy are everything.
If your company imports goods or components, contact Schulz Trade Law today to stay compliant, minimize costs, and protect your business against sudden policy shifts.
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