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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • CBP issued guidance on Section 232 additional duties on certain aluminum imports from Mexico. The guidance provides specific HTSUS headings importers should declare and when filers may report “N/A” for the primary and secondary country of smelt. 
  • CBP has delayed the deployment of functionality related to ACE automation of the de minimis $800 threshold until Jan 11.  
  • CBP implements Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) vague and unacceptable description rejection. 
  • Delaware CBP officers seize over $100k in unmanifested Apple products destined to China. 
  • CBP hosted a Virtual Career Expo on September 5. The expo highlighted law enforcement and mission support opportunities across the nation. 
  • The EPA Supplemental Guidelines document has been updated to version 17. The changes reflect language and text updates including Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) reporting requirements. 
  • The ACE Customer Satisfaction Survey is now open. The survey is voluntary and anonymous and closes on September 11, 2024.  
  • CBP notified Atlanta-area customs brokers that starting Aug. 31 all weekend perishables inspections will be completed using reimbursable overtime. 
  • CBP has released its first FAQs for the implementation of its updated Air Cargo Advance Screening (ACAS) Implementation Guide. 

Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) 

  • OFAC published an alert, “Russian Attempts to Evade Sanctions Using New Overseas Branches and Subsidiaries,” to warn foreign jurisdictions and financial institutions about Russia’s attempts to evade sanctions by opening new overseas branches and subsidiaries of Russian financial institutions. 
  • OFAC designated 10 individuals and two entities as part of a coordinated U.S. government response to Moscow’s malign influence efforts targeting the 2024 U.S. presidential election.  
  • Sanctions List updates: 

United States Trade Representative (USTR) 

  • Chile approves agreement with the U.S. to protect market access for U.S. cheese and meat products. 
  • USTR announced that the United States has requested dispute settlement consultations with Canada under the USMCA regarding Canada’s recently enacted digital service tax. 
  • USTR announces another delay in the final ruling on Section 301 China tariffs. The agency stated they are working to finalize the determination and intend to make it public in the coming days. 

United States International Trade Commission (USITC) 

  • USITC voted to institute an investigation of certain pre-stretched synthetic braiding hair and packaging based on allegations of patent infringement. 

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 

  • The FDA posted four warning letters issued to firms citing the sale of medical devices intended for cleaning, disinfecting, or sanitizing continuous positive airway pressure machines and accessories without marketing authorization from the agency. 

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • A group of 74 trade associations and companies involved in ocean freight transportation wrote a letter urging the Senate to reconfirm Carl Bentzel and Lois Sola to serve second terms on the Commission. 

Department of Labor (DoL) 

  • The DoL published a report “List of Goods Produced with Child Labor or Forced Labor.” Key trends identified: the global footprint of labor exploitation continues to grow, the list of critical minerals produced by child or forced labor has grown to 12, labor exploitation is driving China’s global production dominance. 

Department of Justice (DoJ) 

  • United States seizes aircraft used by Nicolás Maduro Moros in violation of U.S. export control and sanctions laws. 
  • Dual U.S. and Iranian citizen arrested for unlawfully exporting U.S. technology to Iran. 

U.S. Department of State 

  • The State Department concluded a settlement against RTX Corporation to resolve 750 violations of the Arms Export Control Act. RTX will pay a civil penalty of $200 million. 

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