New Executive Order on Strengthening Customs Enforcement
On June 3, 2026, President Trump signed the Executive Order “Strengthening Customs Enforcement,” directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to overhaul the rules that govern importers of record (IORs). The accompanying White House Fact Sheet frames the Order as a truly significant tightening of importer responsibilities – higher bonds, mandatory domestic assets, a new “good standing” requirement on all importers, and sharp new limits on foreign IORs. As CBP put it in its announcement, importing into the United States “has for too long been treated as a right and not a privilege.” While the Order has set aggressive deadlines for Customs reforms, it leaves most of the operational details to future rulemaking, and several of those details could reshape day-to-day compliance.
Overview: What the Executive Order Directs
Within 180 days, the Order requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to revise importer eligibility rules under 19 U.S.C. § 1484, § 1498, and § 1623, among other authorities. The most notable changes for IORs will be:
- A requirement that every IOR maintain, at all times, a minimum level of tangible domestic assets, bonding, or both — plus an increase in the minimum required bond coverage.
- Expanded data and identification requirements, including anticipated import volumes, year organized, ownership and beneficial ownership disclosures, business affiliations, and […]
