May 2021 | Customs & International Trade Law Blog

Don’t be a Target, Learn Best Practices to Mitigate FDA Enforcement

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is in full enforcement mode issuing 260 warning letters in 2021 alone! Now is the time to ensure your products are in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) prior to importation. Manufacturers, importers, distributors, and others engaged in the production or sale of over the counter (OTC) drugs or cosmetic products must be aware of FDA’s various enforcement mechanisms, and more importantly, how to avoid and/or mitigate such actions. FDA’s most common enforcement activities include notices of FDA action, warning letters, seizures, voluntary recalls, injunctions, and criminal prosecution.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-07-22T11:27:59-04:00May 27, 2021|Cosmetics, E-Cigarette, Food, FSMA, Gluten Free, Import, Import Alert, International Trade, Medical Devices, Pre-compliance, Reasonable Care, Tobacco, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|Comments Off

FDA OPENS NEW FSVP PORTAL FOR IMPORTERS

The Foreign Supplier Verification Programs for Food Importers (FSVP), establishes guidelines for importers to vet their foreign manufacturers, ensuring that food products destined for the U.S. are safe for consumption. The FSVP was created under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). These standards of the FSVP are in line with the goals articulated in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Strategy for the Safety of Imported Food. The FDA seeks to ensure that foreign-manufactured food products are safe for consumption. Further, as discussed in Diaz Trade Law’s previously published blog, the FDA issued its first FSVP warning letter in September 2019, and since then has issued at least 60 more!

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-10-07T14:53:51-04:00May 27, 2021|Best Practices, Food, Import, International Business, International Trade, Labeling, Pre-compliance, Supply Chain, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|Comments Off

COVID-19’s Impact on 2020 Trade Flows

COVID-19’S IMPACT ON 2020 TRADE FLOWS

Diaz Trade Law’s President, Jennifer Diaz, and Associate Attorney, Sharath Patil, are enthusiastic to announce that our article, “COVID-19’S IMPACT ON 2020 TRADE FLOWS” was published by the Customs and International Trade Bar Association (CITBA) in its Spring 2021 newsletter. Below is the article for your reading pleasure.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-07-22T12:05:50-04:00May 18, 2021|301 INVESTIGATIONS, China Trade War, COVID-19, Defense Production Act, Export, Import, International Trade, PPE, U.S. Census Bureau|1 Comment

ACE: Auditing Your Export History

If a company or individual believes they have violated export control regulations and the U.S. government is unaware of this violation, proactively and voluntarily disclosing the potential wrongdoing can substantially reduce penalties. A key component of filing a successful voluntary self-disclosure (“VSD”) is uncovering and providing the correct data. Diaz Trade Law has significant experience analyzing ACE export data to evaluate your export compliance and submit successful VSDs that substantially mitigate penalties.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-10-07T14:55:38-04:00May 13, 2021|ACE, Best Practices, EAR, EEI, Export, HTS, International Trade, ITAR, Supply Chain, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Census Bureau|Comments Off

ACE: Auditing Your Import History

In FY 2020 alone, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) import audits resulted in over $44.6 million being collected by CBP. Similarly, CBP collected over $20.1 million in FY 2020 from trade-related penalties and liquidated damages. Prior to CBP auditing you, there is a lot you can do to be proactive about import compliance. The first step is getting a clear picture of your imports by accessing and analyzing your import data on the Automated Commercial Environment (“ACE”). An ACE audit can identify duty-saving opportunities and open risks.

To date, CBP has collected $87.8 billion in China 301 tariffs. If you have paid Section 301 China tariffs on Lists 3 and 4 and you have joined the landmark lawsuit demanding full refunds on these tariffs paid, it is critical that you understand the extent of China tariffs that you have paid, and proactively look out for liquidations. Proactively and comprehensively auditing your ACE import data is the first step.

Whether you are new to importing or a seasoned professional, this one-hour webinar is a must attend. Register today to hear directly from our Diaz Trade Law President Jennifer (Jen) Diaz about audit risks and duty-saving opportunities. Jen is a Chambers ranked, Board Certified International Attorney specializing in customs and international trade.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-07-22T12:11:44-04:00May 11, 2021|ACE, Best Practices, Customs Expert, Import, International Trade, Pre-compliance, Reasonable Care, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|Comments Off

Exporting 101 – Introduction to Export Controls

On April 30, 2021, the Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced that it had fined FLIR Systems, Inc. $307,922 for an egregious violation of the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) for misrepresentations made in commodity jurisdiction (“CJ”) requests. A BIS spokesperson said: “BIS will not tolerate exporters that provide inaccurate or incomplete representations related to export regulations and laws.”

This recent announcement is a textbook example of why it is important to obtain counsel and be both proactive and truthful in regards to your export compliance. Whether you are new to exporting or looking to understand the foundations of export controls, including a discussion of recent penalty cases like FLIR’s (so they do not happen to you), or a seasoned professional looking to understand the latest developments, this one-hour webinar is a must attend. Register today to hear directly from the following expert duo:

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-07-22T12:09:07-04:00May 7, 2021|EAR, EEI, Export, International Trade, ITAR, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)|Comments Off

An Introduction to Safeguard Investigations

What is Section 201 ?

Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 provides import relief measures (also known as Safeguards) for domestic industries. The measures provide temporary relief for U.S. industries when competitor imports increase so significantly that they cause serious injury or threat to the domestic industry. The Safeguard measures are temporary – they allow the U.S. President to raise import duties or impose nontariff barriers on goods entering the United States for a limited period so that domestic industry is given sufficient time to adjust to the competition.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-10-07T14:57:11-04:00May 6, 2021|Best Practices, China Trade War, Customs Expert, Enforcement, Export, Import, International Business, International Law, International Trade, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)|1 Comment

Submitting a Voluntary Self-Disclosure to Census

Diaz Trade Law’s President, Jennifer Diaz, and Associate Attorney, Sharath Patil, are enthusiastic to announce Bloomberg Law published another one of our articles, “Submitting a Voluntary Self-Disclosure to Census”! Below is the article reproduced with permission for your reading pleasure. We’d love to hear your feedback!

You can read the article here (where you’ll have the ability to access all of the great hyperlinks). Please note you cannot click on the hyperlinks below.

We’d love to hear your feedback!

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2022-04-25T16:33:43-04:00May 4, 2021|Bloomberg, Bloomberg Export, Export, International Trade, U.S. Census Bureau|Comments Off