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2026

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Breaking Trade News: Trump Lowers India Tariffs, New UFLPA Dashboard

Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade news:    

Administration 

  • Via a Truth Social Post, President Trump announced that after speaking with Indian Prime Minister Modi, the U.S. will drop reciprocal tariffs on India from 25% to 18%. 
  • During a meeting at the State Department, Vice President Vance said that the U.S. is seeking to organize a preferential trade zone for critical minerals. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • CBP announced a new and improved Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Enforcement Statistics Dashboard that provides a more detailed view of CBP’s enforcement actions.  
  • CBP issued a Withhold Release Order against coffee harvested by Finca Monte Grande, a Mexican coffee farm. Effective immediately, CBP at all U.S. ports of entry will detain coffee harvested by Finca Monte Grande. 

Department of Commerce 

  • A new antidumping and countervailing duty action has been filed against certain fatty acids from Indonesia and Malaysia. The allegation is that imports from Indonesia and Malaysia are unfairly subsidized and are being dumped. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR) 

  • U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer joined Guatemala’s Minister of Economy Adriana Gabriela Garcia in signing the United States–Guatemala Agreement on […]
By |2026-02-06T15:05:44-05:00February 6, 2026|news, Snapshot, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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New AD/CVD Case Filed Against Certain Fatty Acids From Indonesia and Malaysia  

A new antidumping and countervailing duty action has been filed against certain fatty acids from Indonesia and Malaysia. The allegation is that imports from Indonesia and Malaysia are unfairly subsidized and are being dumped.

Full list of exporters here.

Full list of importers here.

Background on AD/CVD Investigations

Antidumping duty (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) investigations are brought jointly by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“USITC”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”). AD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports of particular goods from specific countries being sold at less than a fair value. Meanwhile, CVD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports that are being unfairly subsidized by their governments. The domestic industry initiating the investigation is known as the petitioner while the foreign industry participating in the investigation is known as the respondent.

Scope of the Investigation

The merchandise covered by these investigations is certain fatty acids, which are organic acids made of a hydrocarbon chain with a carboxylic acid group attached to an R-group, with an iodine value below 105g/100g and with a ratio of free fatty acids to triglycerides of at least 97%.

The products subject to the investigation are currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the following subheadings: 2915.70.01.20, 2915.70.01.50, 2915.90.10.50, 2916.15.10.00, 2916.15.51.00, 3823.11.00.00, 3823.12.00.00, 3823.19.20.00, 3823.19.40.00, 2915.70.01.10, and 2915.90.10.10.

Full scope here.

Next Steps

The Commerce Department will determine […]

By |2026-02-03T21:37:39-05:00February 3, 2026|AD/CVD, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC)|0 Comments
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Compliance Mistakes Can Turn Criminal: Don’t Let This Happen to You

Many importers assume that customs compliance issues are purely administrative and can be easily resolved. In reality, customs law and criminal law intersect far more often than most companies realize. What begins as a civil customs matter can escalate quickly into a criminal investigation when regulators suspect fraud, evasion, or willful misconduct.

When Customs Issues Cross the Line

Most customs violations start as a civil enforcement matter. Errors involving classification, valuation, country of origin, or admissibility are often addressed through a request for information (CBP 28), notice of action (CBP 29), protest, prior disclosure, or penalty proceeding. However, when patterns emerge or when agencies believe false statements or deliberate schemes are involved, the enforcement posture can change dramatically.

Federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Department of Justice (DOJ), routinely collaborate to investigate potential criminal violations tied to import activity. These investigations may focus on:

  • Undervaluation or misclassification to avoid duties
  • False statements or omissions in entry documentation
  • Evasion of import restrictions or regulatory requirements
  • Coordinated schemes involving suppliers, brokers, or intermediaries

Once criminal intent is suspected, importers may face subpoenas, search warrants, asset seizures, or even criminal charges.

Increased Focus on Enforcement

The recent volatile tariff environment has created increased incentives to cheat the system. The U.S. government has made clear that it is

By |2026-01-30T10:24:39-05:00January 30, 2026|Enforcement, Import, International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)|0 Comments
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Breaking Trade News: New Tariffs on South Korea, 232 Lawsuit, FMC Investigation

Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade news: 

Administration 

  • President Trump threatened, via Truth Social, that he is increasing South Korean tariffs from 15% to 25% because that country’s legislature has not approved the trade deal that was announced over the summer. 
  • President Trump threatened Canada with 100% tariffs if Canada “makes a deal with China.”  

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), CBP did not fully follow through on addressing security incidents involving some participants in the agency’s Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program. 
  • CBP published a quick reference guide on submitting withhold release order and finding modification requests to the new forced labor portal. 
  • Upcoming CBP webinar: New World Screwworm (NWS) Impact to U.S. – February 3, 1:00 PM EST. Register here. 

Court of International Trade 

  • Importer Express Fasteners filed a lawsuit challenging the application of informal CBP guidance on Section 232 steel and aluminum content valuation, claiming CBP failed to follow required “notice and comment” rulemaking procedures.  
  • The CIT ruled
By |2026-01-30T10:11:30-05:00January 30, 2026|news, Snapshot, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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CBP Launches New Forced Labor Portal 

On January 21, 2026, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched its new Forced Labor Portal. The Portal provides a central system for submitting review requests for shipments detained or excluded for forced labor enforcement.

Effective, January 21, 2026, importers MUST use the portal to submit the following for review:

  • Withhold Release Order/Finding admissibility reviews.
  • Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act applicability reviews.
  • Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act requests for exception; and
  • Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act exception requests.

All detained or excluded shipments requiring review must be submitted through this Portal, and users must have a login.gov account to access it. Depending on the type of review submitted, submission will be reviewed by CBP personnel in Forced Labor Division, or Port of Entry, or the Center of Excellence and Expertise.

Diaz Trade Law has confirmed with CBP that responses to CBP Form 28 (Request for Information) and CBP Form 29 (Notice of Action) should not be submitted through the Forced Labor Portal.

The Portal is available at https://flportal.cbp.gov/s/login/ and CBP has provided an instructional video on how to submit a request here.

This change reflects another step forward in how CBP interacts with the trade community, transitioning from […]

By |2026-01-29T08:26:11-05:00January 29, 2026|Enforcement, Forced Labor, Import, news, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|0 Comments
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