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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • U.S. candidate Ian Saunders elected Secretary General of the World Customs Organization
  • CBP releases Integrity and Accountability Strategy. The Strategy builds upon CBP’s previous strategy to broaden the focus of integrity in the agency beyond corruption and misconduct to better reflect an enterprise-wide commitment to integrity and accountability.
  • Agenda announced for CBP’s Inaugural Green Trade Innovation and Incentives Forum
  • Decision in EAPA Case: Scioto Valley Woodworking – CBP concluded that there is not substantial evidence of evasion as defined by EAPA.
  • Roberto Vaquero takes command as Director of CBP San Juan Field Operations
  • CBP quota bulletin: specialty sugar period 5 opening
  • Upcoming: CBP Green Trade Innovation and Incentives Forum on July 11. The event aims to drive implementation of CBP’s Green Trade Strategy by building a community that sees the international trade arena as fertile ground for climate mitigation, resilience and environmentally-beneficial innovation, and is intended to spark dialogue and exchange best practices that will help identify areas of priority action for both CBP and industry.

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  • USTR announced Sarah Ellerman as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific

Department of Commerce

  • District Export Council nomination opportunity: The Department of Commerce is currently seeking nominations of individuals for consideration for appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to serve as members of one of the 61 District Export Councils (DECs) nationwide.
  • Announcement of approved International Trade Administration trade mission. This mission is U.S. aerospace & defense trade mission to Romania & Poland, November 12-17, 2023.
  • Final results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Reviews of Goodluck India Limited: certain cold-drawn mechanical tubing of carbon and alloy steel from India.
  • Preliminary results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and Preliminary Determination of no shipments: polyethylene terephthalate from Taiwan.
  • Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Changed Circumstances Reviews: certain Quartz surface products from the People’s Republic of China.
  • Initiation of Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigations: certain paper shopping bags from Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Portugal, Taiwan, the Republic of Turkey, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
  • Final results of the expedited first sunset review of the Countervailing Duty Order: certain aluminum foil from the People’s Republic of China.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

  • The Federal Trade Commission is rapidly enforcing their new Aug 2021 regulations where companies cannot use unqualified “Made in USA” claims. The agency took action against a group of Massachusetts- and New Hampshire-based clothing accessories companies, along with their owner, Thomas Bates, for falsely claiming that certain company products were manufactured in the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

  • FDA publishes new FAQs and additional tools for the Food Traceability Rule

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

  • Five Eyes partners agree to formalize cooperation on export control enforcement

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

  • Russia-related designations update; Publication of Africa Gold Advisory
  • OFAC released a joint fact sheet on understanding – UK and U.S. Russia-Related sanctions and the provision of humanitarian assistance

U.S. Congress

  • The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party released a report finding that retail giants Shein and Temu are responsible for 30% of packages shipped to the U.S. under the de minimis provision. The report preliminarily finds that the companies are exploiting the de minimis exception to avoid UFLPA compliance screening. UFLPA enforcement remains a high trade priority of the U.S.

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