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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • CBP announced that it is participating in a new program to enable airlines to recycle single-use aluminum, paper, and plastic products used during international flights arriving in the United States, aligning with CBP’s Green Trade Strategy. 
  • CBP deployed a new drawback claim substitution indicator for retail sales. The new claim enables drawback filers to indicate whether a retail sales claim is a substitution claim or direct identification claim. 
  • CBP’s Cargo and Conveyance Security (CCS) Directorate has issued additional guidance to the trade and cargo logistics industry regarding the reporting of Facilities Information and Resources Management System (FIRMS) codes when submitting the in-bond “arrival” notification in ACE. 
  • CBP instates Miguel A. Garza as Area Port Director for Charlotte. 

Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) 

  • OFAC issued an update to the March 2019 OFAC Advisory to the Maritime Petroleum Shipping Community to highlight risks associated with shipments to Syria. 
  • OFAC put on public inspection an interim final rule to extend recordkeeping requirements from five to ten years. 
  • OFAC put on public inspection a comment request for reporting, procedures and penalties regulations and other information collections maintained by OFAC. 

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 

  • BIS has updated its guidelines for preparing deemed export/reexport license applications. 
  • BIS published an interim final rule (IFR) implementing controls on critical and emerging technologies that have reached broad technical agreement among international partners. 
  • BIS released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking outlining a new mandatory reporting requirement for the world’s leading AI developers and cloud providers. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  • USTR announced final modifications concerning the statutory review of the tariff actions in the Section 301 investigation of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. The final modifications largely reflect the proposed modifications announced in May 2024.  

United States International Trade Commission (USITC) 

  • USITC determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of brass rod from Israel sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the Government of Israel. Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of this product from Israel.  
  • USITC voted to institute an investigation of certain hydro dermabrasion systems based on allegations of patent infringement. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

  • The FDA updated the list of medical devices that incorporate Augment Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). With this update, the FDA has authorized 69 medical devices that incorporate AR/VR.  
  • FDA issued a Constituent Update detailing efforts to enhance food traceability. Insights from these discussions will be further explored in an upcoming public meeting on Oct. 7. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

  • The EPA is delaying the Nov. 12 date for manufacturers and importers to report “forever chemicals” data. The new date for reporting is July 11, 2025. The agency said it needs more time to develop and test software for manufacturers and importers to submit the data. 
  • The EPA updated its Supplemental Guidelines which include a change in the introductory language for Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), clarifying that reporting by either ASHRAE or CAS is required.  

United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 

  • USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA-AMS) is partnering with the International Food Produce Association (IFPA) to host the Produce Inspection Training Program to provide industry members with instruction on the fundamentals of produce inspection. The training will take place on Dec. 3-5 from 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  
  • The USDA has shared its Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service Situation and Outlook Report for August. Highlights: 
    • Agricultural exports forecast in Fiscal Year 2025: $169.5B  
    • Agricultural imports forecast in Fiscal Year 2025: $212.0B 

U.S. Department of Commerce 

  • The Department of Commerce hosted the inaugural Supply Chain Summit. The summit brought together leaders from government, industry, academia, and civil society to discuss supply chain disruptions to proactively strengthen supply chain resilience. 

The Administration 

  • The Biden-Harris Administration announced new actions cracking down on de minimis shipments. The Administration intends to issue a number of rulemakings and initiatives that would: 
    • Exclude from the de minimis exemption all shipments containing products covered by tariffs under section 201 or 301 
    • Strengthen information collection requirements for de minimis shipments 
    • Strengthen enforcement efforts against illicit textile and apparel imports 

Department of Justice (DoJ) 

  • Israeli freight forwarder pleads guilty to violating export restrictions imposed on Russia. 

U.S. Department of State 

  • The U.S. Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has released an update to the “Guidance for USPAB Authorization Requests” document. 

Industry News 

  • The Guatemalan avocado industry is preparing for its 2025 U.S. debut. Guatemala’s Hass avocado sector just completed the risk-assessment consultation process with APHIS. The industry is expecting a final confirmation in the coming days. 

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