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 agency is putting its faith in Altana to prevent goods produced using forced labor from coming into the country, showing a real-life use case of AI with high stakes. 
  • CBP issues extension and modification of national customs automation program test. The test period is extended from July 21, 2023 to February 14, 2024. The notice also makes technical edits and conforming corrections. 
  • Quota Bulletin: Specialty Sugar Period 5 results – The tariff rate quota for Specialty Sugar Period 4 opened on Friday, July 14, 2023 and over-subscribed at opening moment. The pro rata percentage of 28.03783% or .2803783 was calculated via ACE, a UC message was generated detailing the prorated quantity per entry. 
  • ACE Portal modernization – On July 23, CBP will deploy additional functionality for ACE Portal Modernization – Phase 4. Following deployment, the Trade Transformation Office (TTO) will host a demonstration and support call via Microsoft Teams for Trade users on Thursday, July 27. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR) 

  • USTR announces fiscal year 2023 allocation of additional tariff-rate quota volume for raw cane sugar, refined and specialty Sugar, and sugar-containing products. 
  • United States and Mexico announce plan to remediate denials of rights at goodyear SLP facility. 
  • Ambassador Katherine Tai co-leads the meeting of the U.S.-East African Community Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. 

Department of Commerce   

  • Countervailing duty investigation of tin mill products from the People’s Republic of China: preliminary determination of critical circumstances. 
  • Certain hardwood plywood products from the People’s Republic of China: Final scope determination and affirmative final determination of circumvention of the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders. 
  • Rescission of antidumping and countervailing duty administrative reviews: aluminum sheet, alloy steel, and more. 
  • Call for applications: Board of Directors of the Corporation for Travel Promotion – The purpose of the Board is to guide the Corporation for Travel Promotion on matters relating to the promotion of the United States as a travel destination and communication of travel facilitation issues, among other tasks. 
  • Diamond sawblades and parts thereof, from the People’s Republic of China: Notice of court decision not in harmony with the final results of antidumping administrative review; Notice of amended final results. 
  • Certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India: Notice of initiation of antidumping duty changed circumstances review.

 Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • The FMC issued an advisory reminding common carriers, including vessel-operating common carriers (VOCCs), that they “must meet their compliance obligations” when doing business with non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) and ocean freight forwarders (OFFs). 

International Trade Commission 

  • USITC makes determinations in five-year sunset review concerning carbon and alloy steel wire rod from Belarus, Italy, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, and the UK. 
  • USITC votes to continue investigations on paper shopping bags from Cambodia, China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, Turkey, and Vietnam. 

Bureau of Industry and Security 

  • Commerce adds four entities to entity list for trafficking in cyber exploits – BIS added Intellexa S.A. in Greece, Cytrox Holdings Crt in Hungary, Intellexa Limited in Ireland, and Cytrox AD in North Macedonia to the Entity List for trafficking in cyber exploits used to gain access to information systems, threatening the privacy and security of individuals and organizations worldwide. 
  • Suspected Russian intelligence operative extradited from Estonia to face charges related to providing American-made electronics and ammunition to Russian military. 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury 

  • Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen at Foreign Trade University in Hanoi, Vietnam. 
  • Readout: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen’s meeting with National Assembly of Vietnam President Vuong Dinh Hue. 
  • Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)     
    • Balkans-related designation; Counter narcotics designations; Issuance of Venezuela-related General License. 

 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

  • NCBFAA Requests FDA delay of cosmetics facility registration: In a July 13 letter to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Assistant Commissioner for Imports Dan Solis, NCBFAA President J.D. Gonzalez expressed concern with the fast-approaching Dec. 31 deadline to comply with the cosmetic facility registration requirements of the 2022 Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act (MoCRA). NCBFAA requested that the FDA extend the cosmetic registration requirement for one year which will provide “the agency with the time to develop a registration system, roll it out to stakeholders, test it, and work out the kinks.” NCBFAA members can read the full letter here. 

Legislation 

  • Reminder: Canada cracks down on forced labor. After years of stalled efforts, the Canadian Parliament passed Bill S-211, An Act to enact the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act and to amend the Customs Tariff in May of 2023. The act will take effect on January 1, 2024 and will impose significant reporting obligations on Canadian businesses and importers. 

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