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October 2026

Call 305-456-3830 or email info@diaztradelaw.com.

Breaking Trade News: CBP Informal Entry Deadline Extended, 60 Month Prison Sentence for Export Violations

This week’s recap of the latest customs and international trade news:  

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)  

  • CBP announced the extension of the compliance date for new informal entry procedures for international mail from Oct. 22, 2026, to Jan. 20, 2027. 
  • CBP officers in Indianapolis intercepted a shipment containing 300 counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches. Had these items been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $12 million.
  • CBP announced email or text message verification will be required for Automated Clearinghouse refund information changes made in ACE starting Oct. 10. 

Department of Justice (DOJ)  

  • DOJ announced that a Bosnian national was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to export and sanctions violations involving an attempted transaction for North Korean anti-aircraft missiles.  

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)  

  • The FMC is proposing fees on all Spanish-flagged vessels after an investigation revealed the government of Spain created unfavorable shipping conditions for U.S.-flagged vessels.  
  • The FMC published its latest Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) license applicant update, identifying companies seeking new ocean freight forwarder and NVOCC licenses, […]
By |2026-10-16T17:00:58-04:00October 16, 2026|news, Snapshot|0 Comments
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U.S. Government Continues to Signal Sanctions Enforcement as a Priority: Three Recent Cases  

The U.S. government continues to demonstrate its commitment to enforcing sanctions and export control laws, with three recent announcements from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) highlighting the risks businesses and individuals face when compliance obligations are overlooked. 

Between October 9 and October 14, 2026, federal authorities announced a five-year prison sentence involving North Korean sanctions violations, a settlement with an international freight forwarding company, and an $11.6 million settlement with one of the nation’s largest banks. 

Although the cases involve different industries and circumstances, they reinforce a common message: sanctions enforcement extends across the global supply chain. 

DOJ: Five-Year Prison Sentence for North Korean Sanctions Violations 

On October 14, 2026, DOJ announced that Sasa Micev, a Bosnian national and international arms dealer, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and North Korean Sanctions Regulations. 

According to DOJ, Micev conspired with others to broker the purchase of North Korean SA-18 Igla portable surface-to-air missiles without the required authorization from OFAC. The scheme involved discussions about pricing, efforts to obtain the weapons using falsified documentation, and a meeting in Turkey to complete the transaction. The proposed sale ultimately fell through following a pricing dispute. 

OFAC: Freight Forwarder Agrees to $175,015 Settlement 

On October 9, 2026, OFAC announced a $175,015 settlement […]

By |2026-10-15T17:10:37-04:00October 15, 2026|U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|0 Comments
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Commerce Defines “U.S. Content” for USMCA Steel and Aluminum Articles Under Proclamation 11032 

On October 14, 2026, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a Federal Register notice defining “U.S. content” for products of Canada and Mexico that qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), for purposes of the Section 232 duties under clause (2)(d) of Proclamation 11032. The guidance is effective for products entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 14, 2026. Importers of Canadian and Mexican aluminum and steel articles listed in Annex I-C to the Proclamation, and the customs brokers and filers who prepare their entries, should review how they value U.S. content before their next entry. 

Key Takeaways 

  • BIS defines U.S. content in two parts: (1) the value attributable to parts wholly obtained, entirely produced, or substantially transformed in the United States; and (2) to the extent not otherwise accounted for in part (1), the value attributable to steel melted and poured, aluminum smelted and cast, and/or copper smelted and cast in the United States. 
  • The guidance applies to entries on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on October 14, 2026. 
  • Under clause (2)(d), the 25 percent duty applies only to the non-U.S. content of USMCA-qualifying Annex I-C articles of Canada and Mexico, and the total effective duty may not be […]
By |2026-10-15T17:04:23-04:00October 15, 2026|U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments
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DOJ Sues Tile Importer and CEO for $67.9 Million in Duties Over Alleged Transshipment and Shell Importers of Record

On September 28, 2026, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint in the U.S. Court of International Trade against Uni-Tile & Marble, Inc. and its CEO, Xin Mian Pan, seeking $67,922,260.09 in unpaid duties and a $222,537,664.95 fraud penalty under 19 U.S.C. § 1592. The complaint alleges that Chinese ceramic tile, wooden cabinets and vanities, and quartz surface products subject to antidumping, countervailing, and Section 301 duties were transshipped through Malaysia, undervalued, misdescribed, and later entered under shell importers of record. In our view, the case is a roadmap for importers of AD/CVD-covered goods, their executives, and their sureties on how one set of entries can move from an EAPA determination to criminal charges and a civil penalty suit. 

Key Takeaways 

  • DOJ filed a civil complaint at the U.S. Court of International Trade on September 28, 2026, against Uni-Tile & Marble, Inc. and its CEO, Xin Mian Pan, under 19 U.S.C. § 1592. 
  • The fraud counts seek $67,922,260.09 in unpaid duties and a $222,537,664.95 penalty, with gross negligence and negligence pleaded in the alternative. 
  • The complaint alleges transshipment through Malaysia, undervaluation, misdescription, and entries under shell importers of record covering approximately 503 entries. 
  • The civil suit follows an EAPA evasion determination, CBP penalty proceedings, and a separate criminal indictment that also […]
By |2026-10-14T10:22:09-04:00October 13, 2026|U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)|0 Comments
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Breaking Trade News: CAPE Phase 3 Live, DOJ Trade Fraud Directive, Outbound Investment Penalty

This week’s recap of the latest customs and international trade news:  

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • Phase three of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) refund system was deployed by CBP on October 6. Phase 3 covers finally liquidated entries from importers that filed suit at the CIT and for which the Court has ordered reliquidation. 
  • CBP issued a proposed rule that would create a framework for low-value imports after the end of de minimis and formally establishing new informal Entry Type 13 for merchandise entering through the mail. Comments are due December 7. 
  • CBP’s Agriculture and Prepared Products Center of Excellence and Expertise (APP) in Miami uncovered a tariff evasion scheme involving tuna caught by foreign-flagged vessels. The investigation uncovered over $8M in lost revenue and almost $9M in expected penalties.

Department of Justice (DOJ) 

  • On October 1, 2026, DOJ’s National Fraud Enforcement Division issued Directive 26-12, which makes trade fraud a corporate enforcement priority and lists ten factors prosecutors must weigh in deciding whether to charge a company.  

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) 

  • USTR announced a public consultation process ahead of the 2027 joint review of the United States-Mexico-Canada […]
By |2026-10-09T12:11:17-04:00October 9, 2026|news, Snapshot|0 Comments
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