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

 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • CBP released the July 2024 monthly update. Highlights: 
    • Identified estimated duties of nearly $7.8B to be collected 
    • Stopped 408 shipments for further examination based on suspected use of forced labor 
    • Seized 2,230 shipments that contained counterfeit goods, valued at more than $1.2B 
  • CBP announced a Harmonized System Update (HSU) which contains 1,000 harmonized tariff records and 4,158 ABI records. HSU 2412 includes several updates to PGA HTS flag indicator for AMS (AM7) and adjustments required by the verification of the 2024 Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). 
  • CBP’s National Commodity Specialist Division (NCSD) will hold two webinars in September as a part of its 2024 NCSD webinar series.  
  • CBP announced the agency’s 2024-2025 plan to accelerate testing and adoption of global interoperability standards, kicking off a new testing phase for innovative trade technology.  
  • CBP published an update to the antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) Frequently Asked Questions. 
  • CBP seizes more than 90,000 rounds of ammunition leaving the U.S. from Laredo, TX. 
  • CBP and U.S. Chamber of Commerce urge back-to-school shoppers to beware of counterfeits. 

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 

  • BIS imposes $5.8 million penalty against Pennsylvania company for shipments of low-level items to parties tied to the PRC’s hypersonics, UAV, and military electronics programs. 

Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) 

  • OFAC highlights efforts to modernize infrastructure and processes. Major initiatives include updates to the website and search function, FAQs update, updated licensing portal, and launch of the Sanctions List Service (SLS). 
  • OFAC issued a final rule to add a general license, update language to reference recent legislation, and to correct an erroneous reference. 
  • Counter terrorism designation updates. 

United States International Trade Commission (USITC) 

  • The USITC voted to institute an investigation of certain wireless front-end modules based on allegations of patent infringement. 
  • The USITC determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of mattresses from India, Kosovo, Mexico, and Spain that are sold at less than fair value. The Department of Commerce will issue antidumping duty orders on these imports.   

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

  • FDA announces proposed rule to require submission of tracking numbers for imports of e-cigarette products. 

World Trade Organization (WTO) 

  • Comoros joined the WTO on August 21st as its 165th member, after 17 years of negotiating its accession terms with WTO members. It is the 10th least-developed country (LDC) to accede to the WTO through negotiations.  

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • FMC released the July 2024 activity report. Highlights: 
    • Final rule on unreasonable refusal to deal 
    • Request for additional information regarding Gemini Agreement 
    • FMC designates Chinese company a controlled carrier 

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 

  • The CPSC proposed new and more stringent safety requirement standards for toys containing button cell or coin cell batteries, with the goal of preventing child access to batteries. 

Department of Justice (DoJ) 

  • Venezuelan national pleads guilty to sanctions evasion scheme that involved falsifying customs forms and creating fake invoices. 

Court of International Trade (CIT) 

  • CIT sustained the Commerce Department’s first sunset review of the antidumping duty order on softwood lumber from Canada. 
  • CIT ruled that it is unreasonable for the Commerce Department not to attempt verification of an exporter’s certificates proclaiming nonuse of China’s Export Buyer’s Credit Program, when the exporter did not submit certificates for all its customers. 

Industry News 

  • Canada’s two major freight railroads have shut their operations over a labor dispute – impacting 9,000 train workers.  Nearly a third of the freight handled by the two railroads crosses the US-Canadian border, and the shutdown could disrupt operations in a number of US industries, including auto, agriculture, and home building. 

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