Enforcement

Customs and Trade Law Weekly Snapshot

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

CBP 

  • In Fiscal Year 2021, CBP at the LA/Long Beach Seaport seized More Than $760 Million in Counterfeit and Prohibited Products, a 652% increase over the previous year.
  • CBP issues guidance regarding the extension of product exclusions from additional Section 301 China duties on certain medical-care products to address COVID-19.
  • With changes to the HTSUS classification systems possibly coming as early as January 1, 2021, U.S. importers should review their classifications and ensure compliance with U.S. regulations

BIS

China

Customs Classification – A Key Component of an Import Compliance Manual

We are often asked by importers to assist in classifying their products under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (“HTS” or “HTSUS”). While seeking assistance from expert counsel is a best practice, under the CBP Modernization Act, an importer of record (“IOR”) is the sole party responsible for determining the correct classification of imported goods (and thereby paying the correct amount of customs duties). An IOR must use reasonable care in classifying its product at the time of entry. Should an importer misclassify their products and not pay the appropriate duties to CBP at the time of importation; the importer is exposing itself to potential CBP penalties under 19 U.S.C. 1592.  The process of classifying goods can be a tedious process and may require time and research to arrive at the correct HTSUS number for any one product.

This blog expands our prior blog, Crash Course in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, and provides additional detail on the classification process and tips for importers to use when deciding on a classification its customs broker will declare to CBP.

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FDA Seeks Public Comments on Proposed Final Order for OTC Sunscreen Safety

FDA is proposing to amend the Over-the-Counter (OTC) Monograph which covers sunscreen drug products for OTC human use. The public has until November 12, 2021 to submit comments on the impact the proposed changes may have on consumers and industry. This blog provides background on why FDA is considering such changes and discusses FDA’s newly deemed final order for OTC sunscreens as well as the changes included in the proposed order for sunscreens. Industry is encouraged to contact Diaz Trade Law to assess the implications of the proposed changes on its products and to assist in drafting and submitting comments to FDA.

Why is FDA Taking New Steps to Enhance Sunscreen Safety?

The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act reformed and modernized the way FDA regulates certain OTC monograph drugs, including sunscreen.

The CARES Act replaced the rulemaking process for OTC monograph drugs with an administrative order process for issuing, revising, and amending the OTC monographs.  The administrative order process gives FDA new tools to help revise the OTC monographs as science changes, innovation progresses, new data becomes available, or emerging safety signals arise.

For sunscreens specifically, in addition to establishing a deemed final order, the CARES Act requires FDA to issue a proposed order to amend and revise the deemed final order for sunscreens. The FDA believes that most sunscreens on the market will be in compliance with the deemed final order because the provisions are nearly identical to the pre-CARES Act marketing conditions for sunscreens.

As background, an OTC […]

Keysight Technologies Pays $6.6M to State Department for Export Violations

The U.S. Department of State and the California-based company Keysight Technologies Inc. have reached a settlement of $6.6 million for violations of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), 22 U.S.C. § 2751 et seq., and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130.  This settlement comes after a compliance review by the Office of Defense Trade Controls Compliance (DDTC) in the Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for exporting unauthorized software used for testing radar equipment (on fixed or mobile platforms) to countries including Russia and China.

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By |2021-09-17T10:43:52-04:00September 17, 2021|Enforcement, Export, International Trade, ITAR|0 Comments

Jen Diaz to Moderate FCBF on IPR featuring IPR Branch Chief and UL

Diaz Trade Law is excited to announce that President Jennifer Diaz will be moderating the upcoming FCBF webinar titled “IPR with CBP and UL” with the Chief of the Intellectual Property Rights Branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Alaina van Horn, and UL Brand Protection Manager, Lisa Deere.

The Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association (FCBF) encourages all custom brokers, patent, trademark and all international trade professional to join its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and UL. This one-hour webinar will give custom brokers, importers, and all other international trade professionals the ability to learn and understand CBP’s IPR customs and enforcement. 

This webinar will be Friday, September 3, 2021 at 11:30 AM EST.  

Register Now! 

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