Beef and some fertilizers among goods exempt from new global tariff (Meatingplace): The U.S. has implemented a temporary 10 % global tariff on imports, but beef has been left off the tariff list and remains exempt under the exemptions that accompany the new levy. This came after the Supreme Court recently struck down the previous broad tariff regime, prompting the administration to invoke a different trade law to impose the import duty. In addition to beef, other exemptions include goods that comply with existing trade agreements, such as those from Canada and Mexico, certain fertilizers, vehicles, pharmaceuticals, and some metals.
The change means beef imports won’t face the new surcharge for now, though many other products still will. The tariff under the new law is set at 10 % (even though the administration suggested it could go up to 15 %), and it can only remain in place for a limited period without further action by Congress. This shift reflects ongoing legal and policy adjustments in U.S. trade measures following the court decision.
Bloomberg News wrote on Mexico and Canada exemptions from the new tariff.
EPA rolls back tighter mercury limits on power plants, raising public health concerns over mercury levels in fish (Civil Eats): The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rolled back a 2024 rule that tightened limits on mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, a major source of the toxic metal that ends up in fish consumed by people. Under the repeal, the agency reinstated an earlier version of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) from 2012, which EPA officials say was already effective and that the newer Biden-era updates posed heavy burdens on the coal industry. According to Administrator Lee Zeldin, the Trump administration’s changes aim to reduce regulatory costs and protect coal’s role in the energy mix.
However, scientists and public health advocates warn that weakening the standards will slow progress in cutting methylmercury, a highly toxic form of mercury linked to cardiovascular and neurological harm—especially in children and developing fetuses. Research shows that most of the mercury that accumulates in fish eaten by Americans comes from coal plant emissions, and critics argue that loosening the rules will allow more of the toxin to enter water bodies and the food chain. Former EPA analysts also criticized the repeal, emphasizing that toxic air pollutants persist in communities and ecosystems long after they are emitted.