Breaking Trade News: New CBP Forced Labor Portal, USTR Seeks Comment on USMCA & 301

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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • CBP updated its FAQ on e-Commerce, clarifying that International mail can’t benefit from exemptions from reciprocal tariffs for subheadings listed as exempt.
  • CBP announced at the September COAC meeting that the agency is planning to release a dedicated forced labor portal in FY 2026 that importers will be required to use.
  • CBP’s COAC de minimis working group offered recommendations to CBP to bolster entry processing in ACE amid the end of the de minimis exemption on Aug. 29. These recommendations include treating postal shipments similarly to how CBP handles low-value shipments via other transportation modes.
  • CBP added more parties to the list of those qualified to handle the payment of duties on international mail shipments.
  • CBP recently discovered and detained several international food shipping containers that contained radioactive isotopes. As a result of these discoveries, the FDA issued a food safety alert on certain frozen shrimp products.
  • The customs broker permit user fee will change from $180.57 to $185.38. All broker permits issued on or after October 1, 2025, […]
By |2025-09-19T09:58:02-04:00September 19, 2025|news, Snapshot, Uncategorized|0 Comments

Breaking Trade News: Supreme Court to Hear IEEPA Tariffs Case, USMCA Tariff Refunds, Reciprocal Tariff Modifications

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

Industry News
  • The Supreme Court will hear (on an expedited basis) two cases that challenge the legality of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Arguments are set for the first week of November.
  • Nike reached a settlement with a freight forwarder and importer over their alleged importation of counterfeit items.  
  • Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the Treasury Department will have to give refunds if the IEEPA tariffs are ultimately ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. Bessent did not comment further on the refund process or which parties will be eligible to receive refunds; therefore, Diaz Trade Law recommends that importers file their own lawsuit to preserve their ability to collect future refunds. 
  • According to two companies interviewed by International Trade Today, sureties that provide importers with customs bonds say that they’re able to handle covering the potentially significantly higher amounts of duties that importers may owe because of tariff rate increases.
Administration
  • President Trump and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi both posted on social media that trade negotiations between the two countries are moving forward. 
  • On September 5, 2025, […]
By |2025-09-12T09:11:10-04:00September 12, 2025|news, Snapshot|0 Comments

Breaking Trade News: De Minimis Implementation, New DOJ Task Force, FDA Import Alert

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

Administration
  • President Trump said that the administration will petition the Supreme Court to make an expedited ruling on the legality of the IEEPA tariffs. 
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
  • CBP published a new 2025 tariff requirements cheat sheet. View here.
  • CBP published a Federal Register Notice effectuating President Trump’s Executive Order ending duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments from all countries.
  • CBP published a press release announcing enforcement and processes for the end of the de minimis exception.
  • CBP is aware that entries released before Aug. 18, 2025, are being rejected with the error: 794 – Additional Dec Type Required for article. The rejection is occurring for certain steel/aluminum derivative imports. CBP is looking into the issue.
  • CBP released guidance for the consensual monitoring of telephone conversations by employees of the Customs Service.
  • CBP reminds all importers, brokers, and other trade community members to take the ACE user satisfaction survey. Due September 12, 2025.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
  • The DOJ launched a cross-agency Trade Fraud Task […]
By |2025-09-05T09:37:46-04:00September 5, 2025|news, Snapshot|0 Comments

Trump IEEPA Tariffs Struck Down by CAFC

What Happened:

Late Friday afternoon the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act  (IEEPA) does not authorize the President to impose some of the tariffs he has ordered on imported goods under IEEPA authority. While this decision will still likely be examined by the Supreme Court, both the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) and the CAFC have now opined that the tariffs were not legally authorized.

The ruling covers:

  • IEEPA reciprocal tariffs
  • IEEPA fentanyl tariffs (China)
  • IEEPA fentanyl border tariffs (Canada and Mexico)

The ruling was not, however, all good news. The CAFC also sent the matter back to the CIT to consider whether the relief should be limited only to those parties that went to Court, and whether the CIT can issue a “universal” injunction (enjoining the Government from applying IEEPA tariffs to any U.S. imports) in light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Trump v. CASA, Inc., 145 S. Ct. 2540 (2025). If the CIT were to change the nature of the relief, it could mean that the tariffs would remain in effect and/or refunds would be delayed or even avoided, for those parties not in Court.

To implement this, the CAFC issued a separate order pausing the remand back to the CIT until October 14, allowing time for the Administration to appeal to the Supreme Court.

What’s Next:

The Administration has confirmed that it will seek review by the Supreme Court. In the meantime, the CAFC’s ruling does […]

By |2025-09-02T20:59:15-04:00September 2, 2025|Import, news, tariffs|0 Comments

What Happened This Month in International Trade (August 2025)

Another busy month in international trade news. Here’s the full roundup:

Administration 

  • On August 11, President Trump signed an Executive Order delaying the imposition of additional China reciprocal tariffs until November 10. 
  • On August 6, President Trump signed an Executive Order imposing an additional 25% tariff on imports from India to take effect Aug. 27. This applies on top of the 25% reciprocal tariff. 
  • The U.S. and EU released a joint statement announcing that the U.S. will lower tariffs on EU goods covered by the automotive Section 232 action from 25% to 15% as soon as the EU acts to eliminate its industrial tariffs. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • CBP released a Federal Register notice on August 28 outlining procedures and requirements for the end of the de minimis exemption.
  • CBP released new guidance on the additional goods subject to Section 232 tariffs for steel and aluminum derivatives.  
  • CBP published additional guidance on reciprocal tariffs. The guidance covers additional information on what goods are exempt, reiterates which goods are subject to reciprocal tariffs, and the reporting sequence for HTSUS numbers. 
  • CBP’s CTPAT program
By |2025-08-28T17:30:16-04:00August 28, 2025|news, Snapshot|0 Comments
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