History of Tariffs
While import tariffs may seem unfamiliar due to historically low rates in recent decades, they have long played a significant role in U.S. economic policy-serving purposes such as revenue generation, industry support, and protectionism. Historically, high tariffs have often coincided with periods of economic and political instability, whereas lower tariffs have typically supported international engagement and economic growth. Since World War II and the creation of GATT and the WTO, the U.S. has generally maintained lower average tariff rates.
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Topics:
Contracts & Subcontracts Administration,
Government Regulations,
Export & Import,
Material Management & Accounting System (MMAS),
Manufacturing Operations Consulting
President Trump issued several executive orders addressing tariffs. American First Trade Policy dated January 20, 2025 and Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates to Reflect Trading Partner Retaliation and Alignment dated April 9, 2025. In addition, he has also issued a 90-day pause to some countries and is planning to reduce tariffs on certain industries such as US auto tariffs (see Amendments to Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts into the United States dated April 29, 2025). It is clear that tariffs are impacting the supply chain and government contractors.
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Topics:
Compliant Accounting Infrastructure,
Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing,
Contracts & Subcontracts Administration,
DFARS Business Systems,
Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR),
Government Regulations,
Export & Import,
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR),
Manufacturing Operations Consulting
Deltek Costpoint’s Time and Expense module is a powerful tool utilized by many government contractors and other businesses to collect labor hours and manage business expenses. The Time & Expense module’s flexibility aids in compliance and helps keep businesses DCAA audit-ready. Employees, managers, subcontractors, and others enter their labor hours and expenses as defined by company policy and established business rules. Deltek’s Time and Expense system allows for a variety of reporting and inquiring and can also aid in budget planning.
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Topics:
Compliant Accounting Infrastructure,
DCAA Audit Support,
Deltek Costpoint
One would think this is a straightforward calculation. However, nothing is that straightforward when it comes to applying the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) cost principles in FAR part 31.
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Topics:
Compliant Accounting Infrastructure,
DCAA Audit Support,
Government Regulations,
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)
On April 11, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new policy action to limit indirect costs of DOE research funding to Institutes of Higher Education (IHE) to 15%. DOE projects this change to generate over $405 million in annual savings. As expected, a judge has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on this policy. This comes on the heels of the National Institute of Health (NIH) issuing Supplemental Guidance to the 2023 NIH Grants Policy Statement: Indirect Costs dated February 7, 2025, limiting indirect costs on current and future grants to 15%. A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) is still outstanding on the NIH policy.
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Topics:
Compliant Accounting Infrastructure,
Government Regulations,
Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)
Late yesterday, President Trump signed another Executive Order related to employment laws. This Executive Order (“Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy”) takes aim at the use of “disparate impact liability,” which, the EO proclaims, “undermines our national values [and] also runs contrary to equal protection under the law and, therefore, violates our Constitution.”
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Topics:
Litigation Consulting Support,
Human Resources,
Government Regulations,
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs,
Service Contract Act
What do indirect rates and indirect costs in Unanet mean for my organization? This is a question most of the world of government contractors ask. Managing costs isn’t just about tracking the dollars that are spent. It’s also about maintaining a profit, compliance with federal regulations and contract terms, and meeting organizational goals and standards. Unanet plays a pivotal role in navigating the complexities of government contracting, specifically, indirect rates and costs.
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Topics:
Compliant Accounting Infrastructure,
Incurred Cost Proposal Submission (ICP/ICE),
Unanet
President Trump has signed several Executive Orders (EO) addressing ways to improve the acquisition process through simplifying the regulations, utilizing competitive marketplace and commercially available products and services, consolidating procurements at General Services Administration (GSA), and now overhauling the Department of Defense acquisition processes.
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Topics:
Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing,
Contracts & Subcontracts Administration,
Government Regulations,
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR),
Commercial Item Determination