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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)         

  • In accordance with President Trump’s quartz proclamation from July 31, 2026, CBP updated its quota bulletin for quartz surface products. The opening date is August 17, 2026.  
  • CBP extended the Jones Act Waiver for 90 days – to November 15, 2026. CBP also implemented a new requirement that companies considering transportation on a foreign-flagged vessel must first send a written request to the Defense Department, the Maritime Administration, and CBP. 
  • CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO) released its 2026-2030 Strategy, outlining what transformations are required to advance OFO’s four Core Mission Areas: Secure Lawful Travel, National Security and Contingency Operations, Secure and Compliant Trade and Agriculture and Biological Threat Security. 
  • CBP is extending the phased enforcement period for enhanced air cargo advance screening. The phase was set to end on Nov. 21, 2026, and will now run until May 1, 2027. 
  • CBP announced that it will implement two-factor authentication for ACE portal logins through email or SMS notification starting in September. 
  • CBP officers at the Port of Louisville, Kentucky intercepted a shipment containing counterfeit Audemars Piguet watches. Had these watches been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of over $43 million. 

Administration 

  • President Trump issued a proclamation imposing section 232 tariffs on certain imported unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), stating that the United States’ dependence on foreign-manufactured drones and critical drone components threatens to impair national security. 
  • The White House’s Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy published a report discussing transshipment. The Administration estimates potential illegal transshipment in the range of $34.2 billion to $89.6 billion. 

Courts 

  • On August 10, 2026, the Department of Justice filed its opening brief in the consolidated Federal Circuit appeal challenging the Court of International Trade’s universal injunctions governing IEEPA duty refunds. The government argues that CBP has no authority to reliquidate finally liquidated entries on its own initiative. If the Federal Circuit vacates, importers with finally liquidated entries who have not filed suit will have no administrative path to a refund. 
  • The Court of International Trade upheld the Trump Administration’s decision to eliminate the de minimis exemption, concluding that IEEPA provides the President with the authority to do so. In reaching its decision, the court rejected the plaintiffs’ contention that IEEPA’s authorities are confined to common-law property rights. 

U.S. Department of Treasury 

  • On August 11, 2026, the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued a final rule permanently removing the requirement for U.S. companies and U.S. persons to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). 

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)         

  • OFAC announced a $60,764 settlement with Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Inc., a Wisconsin-based manufacturer, to settle potential civil liability for eight apparent violations of OFAC sanctions on Iran. 
  • OFAC issued an amended Iran FAQ: Are non-U.S. persons exposed to sanctions for dealing with digital asset exchanges designated pursuant to Executive Order 13902, “Imposing Sanctions with Respect to Additional Sectors of Iran” (E.O. 13902)?

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)    

  • On August 10, 2026, the FDA proposed a rule that would convert its voluntary Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification program into a mandatory one. Comments are due December 9, 2026. 
  • Produce distributor Coast Citrus Distributors is voluntarily recalling fresh jalapeños and products containing recalled jalapeños that were distributed to wholesalers and restaurants, because of a possible salmonella outbreak. 
  • The FDA issued warning letters to two companies for alleged violations of the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) regulation. 
  • New import alerts, detention without physical examination of: 
    • Food products that appear to be misbranded. 99-39. 
    • Foods containing illegal and/or undeclared colors. 45-02 
    • Drugs from which firms have not met drug GMPs. 66-40.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • Importer India Connection, filed a complaint with the FMC alleging that it was unreasonably charged detention fees for four containers that it couldn’t access while they underwent a mandatory examination by CBP earlier this year. 

Congress 

  • A group of U.S. House Representatives from Idaho and Nebraska sent letters to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer regarding the USMCA. The letters urge stronger enforcement of the agreement and resolution of trade issues affecting their states. 
  • A bipartisan group of U.S. House of Representatives members introduced a bill identical to the Russia sanctions and tariffs legislation passed by the Senate last week. The bill would sanction a broad range of actors and impose tariffs on the top buyers of Russian oil and natural gas. 

Industry News 

International 

  • A report prepared for the Canadian American Business Council by Oxford Economics found that a collapse of the USMCA would wipe out more than $1 trillion in U.S. gross domestic product and $271 billion in Canadian GDP over the next decade. 

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