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

CBP 

China

  • On January 21, 2022, US Rep. Earl Blumenauer introduced The Import Security and Fairness Act (HR 6412) in the US House of Representatives. The bill would enforce stricter limits on who can ship low-value goods into the US without paying import duties, effectively slowing e-commerce growth, particularly in the growing market for China-direct goods. It would also prevent some overseas exporters from using the “de minimis” exclusion, which exempts them from paying duties or other customs fees on shipments into the US that are valued at $800 or less.

DHS

FDA 

  • On January 21, 2022, China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) provided the FDA with usernames and passwords for firms that have been entered by GACC into China’s Single Window system, also known as the China Import Food Enterprise Registration (CIFER) system. FDA has no established procedures to securely and accurately distribute this information currently and is discussing with U.S. government partners the best approach to ensure China continues to allow imports from these firms.

OFAC 

  • On January 20, 2022, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Venezuela-related General License 51 which authorizes certain transactions related to the “Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. 2020 8.5 percent bond on or after January 20, 2023.” OFAC also amended and reissued the Transnational Criminal Organizations Sanctions Regulations and will take effect once published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2022. OFAC also amended the definition of “applicable schedule amount” from appendix A to 31 CFR part 501 and will take effect on January 21, 2022
  • On January 21, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Hizballah-affiliated financial facilitator Adam Ayad as well as members of an international network of facilitators and companies connected to him and to Adel Diab, a fellow Hizballah financier designated by OFAC on January 18, 2022. The United States designated Hizballah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on October 8, 1997 and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on October 31, 2001.

Section 301 

Ukraine

  • On January 24, 2022, OFAC amended Ukraine-related General License No. 13Q, “Authorizing Certain Transactions Necessary to Divest or Transfer Debt, Equity, or Other Holdings in GAZ Group,” and Ukraine-related General License 15K, “Authorizing Certain Activities Involving GAZ Group.” These licenses were previously extended on December 23, 2020 for a period of 1 year which are now being extended for a shorter period of 90 days.
  • On January 26, 2022, President Biden said he would consider personal sanctions on Vladimir Putin if Russia invades Ukraine. His comments came as other Western leaders repeated warnings that Russia would pay a heavy price for invasion.

USITC

  •  U.S. trade with Caribbean Preference Program countries sees a decline amid the pandemic as the International Trade Commission in its report on the impact of the Caribbean Basin Economy Recovery Act found that in 2019 and 2020, the overall effect of this trade preference program on the U.S. economy continued to be negligible and the effect on beneficiary countries continued to be small but positive.

USTR 

If you have questions about these updates, contact our Customs and International trade law attorneys at info@diaztradelaw.com or call us at 305-456-3830.

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