Web Savvy Marketers

  • About
  • Services
    • Strategic Planning
    • Marketing Programs
    • Full-Service Web Design and Development
    • Content Marketing
  • Industry
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
    • Tools & Tips
      • Google Tips
      • Internet Scams
      • Motivational
      • Tips for a good website
      • Website Writing Tips
    • Marketing
      • Internet Marketing 101
      • Philanthropy
      • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
      • Social Media
      • Web design/Internet Marketing
    • Web Design
      • E-commerce
      • Website Maintenance
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Tools & Tips / New Year Lifts Tariffs, Changes Employment Laws

New Year Lifts Tariffs, Changes Employment Laws

January 12, 2022 Beth Devine

Tarrifs

Effective January 1, 2022, the U.S. will no longer impose a 25% tariff on steel or a 10% tariff on aluminum imported from the European Union (EU). The two countries negotiated an agreement to lift the Section 232 tariffs on October 31, 2021 at the G-20 Summit in Italy. In exchange for lifting the tariffs, the EU agreed to lift its 25% retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. goods and limit its U.S. imports of aluminum and steel.

Steel imports from the EU will be limited by a Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) that allows duty free imports of qualifying steel up to 3.3 million metric tons per year. The TRQ for aluminum is capped at 18,000 metric tons for unwrought aluminum and 366,000 metric tons for wrought aluminum. Imports that exceed the TRQ will be taxed at 25% for steel and 10% for aluminum.

Agreement stipulations, exclusions, and product categories for steel and aluminum are listed here:  US-232-EU-Statement.pdf (commerce.gov)

When the agreement was announced, Dennis Slater, president of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers said the tariffs had negatively impacted the U.S. economy. The new agreement, he said, “will help address steel shortages and soaring prices that have hurt equipment manufacturers.”

United States Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo called the agreement “great news for America’s steel and aluminum industries and workers, as well as American consumers.” The deal, she said, “will protect American jobs, avoid retaliatory tariffs on iconic American brands like Harley Davidson and the Kentucky bourbon industry, reduce inflationary pressures on products like cars, trucks, appliances and canned goods, and alleviate a major supply chain crunch by supporting increased steel and aluminum capacity in the US.”

Employment Law

The new year also brings employment changes specific to Connecticut. Starting January 1, the state’s Family and Medical Leave Act (CT FMLA) will change from providing 16 weeks of job-protected leave over a 24-month period to 12 weeks over a 12-month period. Also, the CT FMLA will now apply to companies with at least one employee, rather than only companies with 75 or more employees.

Previously, employees had to work for their companies for at least 12 months and 1,000 work hours to be eligible for the CT FMLA, but this is reduced to three months of employment with no minimum work hours in 2022.

Connecticut’s Department of Administrative Services released the details of the revised CT FMLA on December 23, 2021 in General Letter 39. The 19-page document explains employee qualifications and employer responsibilities.

Web Savvy Marketers and Connecticut Manufacturers Resource Group offer access to vetted Human Resource professionals to ensure manufacturers understand the changes and fully comply with the law.

Filed Under: Tools & Tips

Recent Posts

  • Reshoring: What and How?
  • It’s Manufacturing Month!
  • Cybersecurity’s Role in Manufacturing
  • The Ultimate Tool for Saving Manufacturers Time, Money, and Human Capital
  • Sales and Marketing: Collaboration is Key to Success – Part One

Search this site

Call Us

860-432-8756

Our Location

222 Pitkin Street, Suite 125
East Hartford, CT 06108
Phone: 860-432-8756

Services

  • Marketing Services
  • Strategic Planning
  • Internet Marketing
  • Multi-Media Productions
  • Marketing Programs

Talk to Us

Follow us, subscribe to us, email us, or call us at 860-432-8756. We’ll use our Super Savvy Tool Belt to stay in touch however you prefer.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Sign Up for Email Updates
For Email Marketing you can trust.

Copyright © 2025 Web Savvy Marketers, LLC · 222 Pitkin Street, Ste. 125 · East Hartford, CT 06108 · 860-432-8756 ·
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Cookie Policy · Log in