FPA President’s Message on Trump Administration Tariffs

Dear members of the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) as well as the flexible packaging industry:

We are closely monitoring the possibility that as soon as tomorrow, Saturday, February 1, 2025, President Donald J. Trump may move forward with tariffs of up to 25% on products imported into the United States from Canada and Mexico to stop illegal immigration and the smuggling of opioid fentanyl and component chemicals into the U.S. An additional 10% tariff is under consideration on Chinese imports over the same fentanyl concerns.

Should Trump move forward with the tariffs on Canada and Mexico, we will work as quickly as possible to understand exactly how and when those tariffs might be implemented and then assess the scope of those tariffs and the potential impact to FPA members. We will also monitor any retaliatory tariffs Canada and Mexico may look to impose on products exported from the U.S. into those countries.

We are already actively engaged with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and the National Foreign Trade Council’s Tariff Reform Coalition to assist us with understanding possible tariff regimes and help guide any engagement strategies we may develop and implement to potentially respond on behalf of FPA members and the U.S. flexible packaging industry. As you may know, FPA is no stranger to engaging on duty and tariff issues, even if most recently more narrowly focused on aluminum foil.

Thank you in advance for your patience as we wait to see what happens and determine if and how to respond. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me or FPA Director of Government Relations John Richard with any immediate concerns or questions.

Editor’s note: Dan Felton, FPA president and CEO, emailed this letter to FPA members on January 31, 2025.

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