US trade regulators want to change how they calculate import taxes on foreign goods

The US Commerce Department is considering two changes to how it calculates import taxes on foreign goods. One change would affect how taxes are applied to goods sold by resellers who are not directly tied to the original manufacturer. The other would modify or remove a fast-track review process for certain import taxes.

These are small, technical changes to how the US applies import taxes, but they can have big effects on who pays what. The rules about resellers determine whether a company can avoid higher taxes by routing goods through a different seller. The fast-track review process can make it quicker for companies to get out from under new taxes, or for the US to impose them.