Breaking Trade News: 23 States File 122 Appeal, IEEPA Refund Update, OFAC Sanctions

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

Twenty-three non-importer states filed a notice to appeal the Court of International Trade’s (CIT) May 7 ruling against Section 122 tariffs.
The CIT held an IEEPA refund status hearing on June 9, during which CBP said that Phase 3 of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) will be ready in July, but that the agency is not authorized to process any finally liquidated entries for refunds.

CBP announced that it plans to revoke hundreds of customs brokers’ licenses for failure to file the triennial status report and pay applicable fees.
CBP’s executive director of the trade programs directorate, Brandon Lord, filed an IEEPA refund with the CIT, stating that the Treasury Department will continue to pay refunds while the IEEPA litigation continues.
CBP issued a Harmonized System Update on June 7, containing tariff adjustments for imports of aluminum, steel, and copper into the U.S.
Ahead of the FIFA World Cup, CBP issued a reminder to travelers encouraging them to know what they can and cannot bring to the U.S. to help speed up the inspection process and help CBP protect U.S. agriculture.
CBP issued a press release highlighting how the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) program benefits trusted U.S. small businesses.

As part of Economic Fury, OFAC sanctioned nine individuals and entities that have supported weapons procurement on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL).
OFAC issued several Venezuela-related general licenses, including authorizing certain activities involving Venezuelan oil and activities involving Venezuelan-origin minerals.

The FDA added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted sunscreen active ingredients, marking the first new active ingredient added to the over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen monograph since the late 1990s.
New Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
- Human and Animal Foods imported from Foreign Suppliers by importers who are not in compliance with the requirements of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP).
- Food Products due to the presence of Salmonella.
- Drugs from firms that have not met Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).

USDA’s The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a notice proposing to allow imports of fresh pineapple from the Philippines and Thailand into all of the U.S. ports of entry.

The CPSC urged importers to review the CPSC’s eFiling process ahead of the mandatory eFiling deadline of July 8, 2026.

U.S. Senators Warren and Kelly sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer asking him to end the pause on port docking fees that were proposed as part of a Section 301 action against China’s practices in its shipbuilding and logistics sectors.

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