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

Administration  

  • In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that tariffs could return to levels in place under IEEPA by the beginning of July through the use of Section 301. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)  

  • CBP filed a declaration with the CIT providing an update on the agency’s progress in facilitating IEEPA tariff refunds via CAPE. As of April 14, 2026, CBP has completed all the primary components and functionalities for Phase 1 and will begin accepting refund requests on April 20, 2026. 
  • CBP released a CSMS message guiding importers seeking IEEPA refunds via CAPE. The message includes guidance on submitting CAPE declarations and provides additional detail on the process CBP will follow in processing requests. 
  • CBP sent a trade bulletin reminding importers to sign up for an ACE portal account so that they may receive electronic refunds from CBP. 
  • CBP officers at the Buffalo port of entry seized nearly 1,000 electronic devices bearing counterfeit trademarks that, if authentic, would have been worth about $150,000. 
  • CBP officers in Louisville, KY, seized 1,588 pieces of counterfeit jewelry that would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of over $9.2 million, had they been genuine. 

Court of International Trade (CIT)  

  • The CIT held a hearing on April 10 to consider the legality of Section 122 tariffs. The panel of judges pressed the lawyers on whether conditions had been met to invoke the statute.  

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 

  • BIS reached an administrative enforcement settlement with Coastal PVA Technology, Inc. for alleged violations of the EAR involving selling brushes to parties on the BIS Entity List in China.  

United States Trade Representative (USTR)  

  • Ambassador Jamieson Greer published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal outlining the WTO’s repeated failure to address trade imbalances and how the United States is driving reforms to eliminate non-reciprocal practices and protect American workers and businesses.  

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)  

  • OFAC sanctioned six targets involved in a money laundering and cash smuggling enterprise operated by Cartel del Noreste (CDN), one of Mexico’s most violent drug trafficking organizations. 
  • OFAC sanctioned more than two dozen individuals, companies, and vessels operating within the network of Iranian oil shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani (Shamkhani), the son of now-deceased senior Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani.  
  • OFAC issued Russia-related General License 128C, authorizing certain transactions involving Lukoil Retail Service Stations located outside of Russia. 
  • OFAC issued Russia-related General License 130A, authorizing transactions involving certain Lukoil Entities in Bulgaria. 

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)  

  • The USDA is revising the standards for grades of lemons by adding seedless lemons and incorporating marking requirements for lemons meeting the definition of seedless lemons. 

Congress 

  • U.S. House Representatives Panetta and Sanchez introduced the Stop Global Tariffs Act, which would end the 10% Section 122 tariffs.  
  • A group of democratic House Representatives wrote a letter to the Labor Department asking several questions about fighting offshoring and supporting workers who lost their jobs due to foreign competition. 

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 

  • The FCC announced conditional approvals of certain routers and uncrewed aircraft systems, and exemption from the agency’s national security covered list.  

International News  

  • China issued new anti-foreign sanctions regulations that establish a framework for the government to penalize foreign states and entities that apply “undue extraterritorial jurisdiction” measures against China. 

Want more customs and international trade news? Sign up for our weekly snapshot!

Print Friendly, PDF & EmailPrint