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

Administration: 

  • President Trump signed a Proclamation temporarily removing duties on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco. The duties will be suspended for eight months. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)      

  • On June 29, 2026, CBP launched CAPE Phase II for IEEPA refunds. This phase covers enhanced processing for reconciliation-flagged entries, making the large majority of IEEPA duties eligible for refund.  
  • CBP issued an interim final rule (IFR) that codifies the suspension of de minimis for international mail shipments and establishes a new postal informal entry process for certain goods entering by mail. The rule takes effect July 24, 2026. 
  • CBP issued a Notice of Determination as to Evasion in an EAPA case, finding that a major solar-module importer evaded antidumping AD/CVD orders on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells.  
  • CBP published a Federal Register Notice increasing interest rates for underpayments (7% for both corporations and non-corporations) and overpayments (7% for non-corporations and 6% for corporations). 
  • CBP seized over $120,000 in unmanifested kitchen cabinets in Norfolk on June 23 that were clandestinely imported from China. 
  • CBP officers at the Port of Louisville intercepted a shipment containing 375 counterfeit watches. Had these watches been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of over $54 million. 
  • CBP officers seized $170,000 in automotive struts and shock absorbers from China after the importer committed customs fraud by willfully submitting fraudulent documents to conceal their identity. 

Courts    

  • On July 1, 2026, CBP filed its latest status declaration with the CIT in the IEEPA refund case. As of June 29, 2026, CBP reported:  
  • The agency has certified roughly $71.06 billion in IEEPA refunds and cleared 18.1 million entries through CAPE  
  • 4.36 million entries failed CAPE’s entry-level checks  
  • 8,384 certified refunds had not been transmitted to Treasury solely because the importer of record — or its authorized CBP Form 4811 designee — never provided ACH banking information.  

Department of Justice

  • The Chinese tech company Alibaba agreed to pay $600 million to resolve allegations that it sold and imported illegal pharmaceuticals, regulated chemicals, controlled substances, and pill-making equipment into the U.S.   

United States Trade Representative (USTR) 

  • The U.S. declined to renew the USMCA. The agreement remains in force and now enters a cycle of yearly reviews until 2036. 

International Trade Commission (ITC) 

  • The ITC determined that there are no changed circumstances sufficient to warrant revocation of the existing antidumping order on imports of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, leaving 17% duties in place.  

U.S. Department of Commerce 

  • A new antidumping and countervailing duty action has been filed against Glyphosate from China. The allegation is that imports from China are being dumped and unfairly subsidized.  

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)      

  • OFAC launched a new online Reconsideration Portal for the submission of requests to be removed from an OFAC sanctions list. 
  • OFAC announced sanctions against multiple entities engaged in fuel smuggling schemes linked to Mexican Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.  

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

  • The FDA issued a proposed rule that would require all foreign tobacco product manufacturers to complete registration and product listing through the FDA.  

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • Orient Overseas Container Line Limited (OOCL) urged the FMC to overturn an administrative law judge’s decision ordering OOCL to pay $45.6 million for Shipping Act violations. 

Congress     

  • A group of 52 U.S. House Representatives wrote a letter to President Trump asking the administration to allow the Jones Act waiver to expire as scheduled on August 16. 
  • Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote a letter to CBP asking a series of questions about IEEPA refunds, including how many refunds have been issued, what value that covered, and what the average wait time between application and refund is. 

International  

  • The European Union published the regulation implementing its 2025 trade and tariff agreement with the U.S. The regulation entered into force on July 1. 

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