Snapshot

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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• DHS announces two additional PRC-based companies as a result of forced labor enforcement. Effective August 2, 2023, goods produced by Camel Group Co., Ltd. and Chenguang Biotech Group Co., Ltd. and its subsidiary Chenguang Biotechnology Group Yanqi Co. Ltd. will be added to the UFLPA Entity List and restricted from entering the United States as a result of the companies’ participation in business practices that target members of persecuted groups, including Uyghur minorities in the PRC.
• CBP’s final rule for new Broker Continuing Education (CE) requirement became effective July 24. The agency published answers to a few frequently asked questions regarding CE credit reporting, how CE credits will be treated during the 2024-2027 triennial, and accreditors. Read CBP’s fact sheet here.
• CBP detained forced labor merchandise may no longer enter a zone whilst awaiting decisions. The only available options are to pay storage at the port or a customs bonded warehouse.
• Luxury jewelry, handbags, watches & more worth almost $800K intercepted by CBP officers at Chicago’s international mail facility.
• CBP, the Office of Field Operations (OFO), the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), and the Trade Compliance (TC) program announced the next generation of the CTPAT Portal and the TC Portal.
  • The next generation of these Portals will move from their current, outdated architecture to a modern cloud-based system that will be more user-friendly, intuitive, and faster.
• COBRA Fees […]
  

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

     Customs and Border Protection (CBP)    

• The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that CBP violated a pencil importer’s right to due process by refusing to share the statistical and photographic evidence the agency used to determine that its pencils were dodging tariffs on Chinese products. 
• CBP announces decision on hours at six ports of entry following temporary expansion 
  • During the temporary expansion, the ports of entry at Porthill, Idaho, and Maida, Northgate, and Sherwood, North Dakota, each expanded operations by two hours. The Laurier, Washington, Port of Entry expanded operations by two hours, and the Port of Del Bonita, Montana, expanded from operating five to seven days a week. CBP has decided to maintain the expanded hours at the Sherwood, Porthill and Del Bonita ports of entry. The hours at the Maida, Northgate and Laurier ports of entry will return to the hours in use before the temporary expansion. 
• CBP cautions consumers, merchants about unsafe school supplies after a seizure of school supplies in San Juan, P.R., recently that violated federal law regulating misbranded hazardous substances or banned hazardous substances. 

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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)    

• CBP releases June 2023 monthly update. Highlights: 
  • CBP processed more than 3.1 million entry summaries valued at more than $278 billion.  
  • CBP identified an estimated $7 billion of duties to be collected by the U.S. government.  
  • CBP seized 1,709 shipments that contained counterfeit goods valued at more than $120 million. 
  • In June, trade via the ocean environment accounted for 39.5% of the total import value, followed by air, truck, and rail. 
  • In the year after the agency began implementing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act on June 21, 2022, CBP has reviewed a total of nearly 4,300 shipments valued at nearly $1.4 billion. In June 2023, CBP stopped 405 shipments valued at more than $239 million for further examination based on the suspected use of forced labor. 
• Altana, a New York-based startup that uses AI to map global supply chains, has been awarded a contract — $2.85 million for year one and nearly $10 million over three years — with U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The […]
  

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

   Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• CBP Seizes $3M in Counterfeit Watches – CBP officers at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport seized five counterfeit Richard Mille watches originating from Hong Kong.
• Harmonized System Update: Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2308 was created on June 30th, 2023, and contains 855 ABI records and 178 harmonized tariff records. This update contains modifications mandated by the 484 (F) Committee, the Committee for Statistical Annotation of the Tariff Schedules, effective July 1, 2023.
• EAPA case update: Suzhou Quality Import and Export Co. (notice of initiation of investigation and interim measures).
• EAPA case update: Vanguard Trading Company LLC (notice of determination as to evasion).
• CBP releases Quarterly IRS interest rates used in calculating interest on overdue accounts and refunds of customs duties.

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

• United States, Mexico, and Canada hold the second meeting of the Labor Council under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Department of Commerce

• Sayari awarded contract with U.S. Department of Commerce for enhanced export control investigations – Sayari was awarded a $7.8 million dollar contract from CBP to support the mitigation of ongoing global supply chain risks.
• Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review: Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From Thailand.
• Continuation of Antidumping Duty Orders: Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp From the People’s Republic of China, India, Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Continuation of Antidumping Duty […]
  

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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• U.S. candidate Ian Saunders elected Secretary General of the World Customs Organization
• CBP releases Integrity and Accountability Strategy. The Strategy builds upon CBP’s previous strategy to broaden the focus of integrity in the agency beyond corruption and misconduct to better reflect an enterprise-wide commitment to integrity and accountability.
• Agenda announced for CBP’s Inaugural Green Trade Innovation and Incentives Forum
• Decision in EAPA Case: Scioto Valley Woodworking – CBP concluded that there is not substantial evidence of evasion as defined by EAPA.
• Roberto Vaquero takes command as Director of CBP San Juan Field Operations
• CBP quota bulletin: specialty sugar period 5 opening
• Upcoming: CBP Green Trade Innovation and Incentives Forum on July 11. The event aims to drive implementation of CBP’s Green Trade Strategy by building a community that sees the international trade arena as fertile ground for climate mitigation, resilience and environmentally-beneficial innovation, and is intended to spark dialogue and exchange best practices that will help identify areas of priority action for both CBP and industry.

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

• USTR announced Sarah Ellerman as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Department of Commerce

• District Export Council nomination opportunity: The Department of Commerce is currently seeking nominations of individuals for consideration for appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to serve as members of one of the 61 District Export Councils (DECs) nationwide.

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