America's Global Import Surcharge Just Expired — By Law, Not By Choice
- ▸The 10% global import surcharge that the White House imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Proclamation 11012) expired automatically at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, 2026 — exactly 150 days after it took effect, the maximum duration the law allows without an Act of Congress.
- ▸No Congressional extension was passed, so the surcharge lapsed by operation of law rather than by any new decision from the administration.
- ▸The gap is expected to be partly filled by Section 301 tariffs — including the forced-labor tariffs on 60 economies EconoLens covered this morning — but Section 301 has no 150-day cap and no built-in expiration, unlike Section 122.
The 10% global import surcharge the White House imposed in February under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 expired automatically at 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 24, 2026. Proclamation 11012 itself set the clock: a 150-day limit, the maximum Section 122 allows the President to impose such a surcharge without Congress voting to extend it.
No extension bill passed. That means the surcharge didn't end because the administration chose to end it — it ended because the statute's own deadline arrived and Congress didn't act. The proclamation covered nearly all imported goods, with carve-outs for items like critical minerals, energy products, pharmaceuticals, certain electronics, and USMCA-qualifying goods from Canada and Mexico.
The gap left behind is only partly filled. Section 301 tariffs — including this week's forced-labor tariffs on 60 economies — cover some of the same trading partners, but at different rates and under a law with no fixed expiration date, unlike Section 122's hard 150-day limit.
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Cite This Article
EconoLens Editorial Team. (2026, July 24). America's Global Import Surcharge Just Expired — By Law, Not By Choice. EconoLens. https://econolens.co.in/news/section-122-global-import-surcharge-expires-july-24-2026
The EconoLens editorial team covers global macroeconomics, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and international trade. All content is AI-assisted and fact-checked.