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

 Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • Solar panels from India continue to face US scrutiny for links to China forced labor. Nearly a third of the detained Indian electronics shipments were denied since October 2022. 
  • The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) will hold its quarterly meeting on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, in Washington, DC. 
  • CBP announced a solicitation for applications to set up a Centralized Examination Station (CES) for Miami International Airport. The solicitation period started Aug. 20 and will expire on Oct. 19. 
  • CBP to host virtual forced labor seminar for Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands importers. 
  • On Sept. 28, CBP will deploy enhancements to the Document Image System (DIS) to facilitate export vehicle-related document submission via Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). 
  • On Sept. 23, CBP will deploy a change in the ACE production environment (PROD) to electronically prevent filers from changing an entry via Post Summary Correction (PSC) from a non-quota entry type to a quota entry type (02). 
  • CBP officers at the Calexico East Port of Entry intercepted a traveler attempting to smuggle over 50 pounds of sea cucumbers concealed within a vehicle. 

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 

  • BIS imposes penalty on Pennsylvania company Streamlight, Inc. to resolve alleged violations of the antiboycott regulations. 
  • BIS takes action to further restrict the supply of both U.S.-origin and “U.S. branded” (i.e., labeled) items to Russia and Belarus. Actions include:  
    • Further tightening controls on Russia by expanding the scope of the Russia/Belarus Military End User (MEU) and Procurement Foreign Direct Product (FDP) rule  
    • Cutting off exports to foreign companies on the BIS Entity List 
    • Restricting trade to additional foreign addresses 
    • Providing guidance and recommendations on contractual language that target unlawful reexports to Russia and Belarus. 

Department of Commerce (Commerce) 

  • Commerce announced its list of critical sectors and key goods for potential cooperation under the IPEF Supply Chain Agreement to strengthen supply chain resiliency. Key sectors include agriculture, energy, and health. 
  • Commerce published a notice of continuation of its AD/CVD orders on truck and bus tires from China. 

Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) 

  • OFAC published one new, basic information Frequently Asked Question (FAQ 1190) and two amended Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ 736 and FAQ 757) related to the Cuban Assets Control Regulations. 
  • Sanctions List updates: 

United States International Trade Commission (USITC) 

  • USITC voted to institute an investigation of certain semiconductor devices based on allegations of patent infringement. 
  • USITC has made affirmative determinations in its preliminary phase of countervailing and antidumping duty investigations concerning Tungsten Shot from China and will continue the investigation. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

Department of Justice (DoJ) 

  • Hungarian national arrested on charges of conspiring to export U.S. military-grade radios to Russian government end users. 

U.S. Department of State 

  • The State Department placed sanctions on an Hashomer Yosh, an Israeli nongovernmental organization asserting extremist settler violence in the West Bank. 

Court of International Trade (CIT) 

  • The CIT ruled in favor of CBP in a case involving classification. Plaintiff claimed HTSUS 8405.10.00 was correct and filed a motion for summary judgment. The court ruled that CBP’s classification, 8503.00.95, was correct, upholding their imposition of a 3% duty rate.  

Congress 

  • The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scored H.R. 7979 – the End China’s De Minimis Abuse Act – as a revenue generator, increasing the likelihood that the bill will pass. The bill prohibits certain U.S. imports from receiving de minimis treatment and establishes related civil penalties. 

Industry News 

  • The Canadian government intervened in the rail strike, directing the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) to settle the dispute through binding operations. 

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