This week’s recap of the latest customs and international trade news:

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • CBP filed an update with the CIT in the IEEPA refunds case, stating that nearly $130 billion in potential and certified refunds have been accepted for processing via CAPE, and over 5 million entries failed entry level validations.
  • CBP issued guidance via CSMS message regarding how to electronically remit payment for increases in duties, taxes and fees from a post-summary correction. Filers will not be able to pay in check or cash beginning Aug. 5.
  • CBP officers from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport seized nearly $4 million in counterfeit goods, including fake MLB and Nike apparel, Louis Vuitton bags, Cartier sunglasses, and Jaguar Land Rover computer systems.

Courts

  • A group of 25 states led by Oregon, Arizona and California filed a lawsuit at the CIT challenging the Section 301 forced labor tariffs as a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act, alleging that USTR’s investigation was rushed and failed to address comments.
  • Customs broker Forrest Xu filed a complaint with the CIT arguing that CBP deactivated his broker entry filer code without due process.

Department of Justice

  • Everlight Electronics of Taiwan agreed to pay the United States $5.15 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act, common law, and the Tariff Act by knowingly failing to pay duties owed on LEDs imported from China.

Department of Commerce

  • The Commerce Department published a Federal Register Notice soliciting comments on adding 14 products to its list of derivative products under Section 232 tariffs on steel, aluminum or copper.

U.S. Department of State

  • The State Department designated five Cuban entities and eight individuals involved in the procurement of military equipment from abroad for the Cuban regime’s Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (MINFAR) and security forces.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

  • OFAC designated six entities and individuals in China, India, Russia, and Iran, including multiple companies serving as general sales agents for the U.S.- and European Union‑sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan Air.
  • OFAC added several entities and individuals to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List.
  • OFAC added a new Cuba FAQ (1264) regarding sanctions exposure for humanitarian activities.

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

  • BIS announced that, as of November 20, 2026, the export of certain silencers, mufflers, and sound suppressors is subject to BIS’s Export Administration Regulations, rather than the State Department’s U.S. Munitions List.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

  • The FDA announced that the application window for the Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) portal for fiscal year 2027 benefits will close on September 1, 2026.
  • New and revised Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
    • Foods due to heavy metal
    • Processed human and animal foods for pesticides

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to amend import regulations governing the National Poultry Improvement Plan to align more closely with current producer practices. Comments are due by Oct. 5.
  • USDA’s APHIS is proposing to amend regulations for imports of unroasted coffee into Hawaii and Puerto Rico so that the agency can more efficiently respond to market access requests and emerging pest situations. Comments are due by Oct. 5.

International

  • China issued a coordinated set export‑control measures on Aug. 5 targeting U.S. entities and certain U.S.-bound goods. The actions are in response to recent import restrictions imposed by the FCC and DHS’s addition of more than 40 Chinese companies to the UFLPA Entity List.
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