Customs and Trade Law Weekly Snapshot
Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade law news: 
Diaz Trade Law Invites the Trade Community to Two Free Webinars this Summer!
Celebrate the summer season with two light hearted webinars on International Trade. Diaz Trade Law invites the trade community to two FREE webinars; space is limited – register today! Laugh with us at the Humor in International Trade webinar and learn insightful facts about the impact of international trade on American history during The First Laws — History of Customs and Revenue Law. More information about each webinar is provided below:
Can We Find Humor in International Trade? – July 14, 2021 at 12:00 PM ET
This one-hour webinar describes humor in trade. International Trade is a serious subject, but within it, bits of humor can be found. Register today to hear from this experienced duo and discover many of the oddities and idiosyncrasies prevalent in our modern-day international trade system.
President and Founder of Diaz Trade Law, Jennifer (Jen) Diaz is a Chambers ranked, Board Certified International Attorney specializing in customs and international trade.
Treasury Imposes Further Sanctions on Iran
Background on Iran Sanctions
The United States has imposed restrictions on activities with Iran under various legal authorities since 1979, following the seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran following the Iranian Revolution. In October 2015, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia, as well as Germany (known collectively as the P5 +1) met with Iran and successfully negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (“JCPOA”). Pursuant to the JCPOA, Iran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear program in exchange for relief from some sanctions. According to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231, the JCPOA would result in “the comprehensive lifting of all UN Security Council sanctions as well as multilateral and national sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program, including steps on access in areas of trade, technology, finance, and energy.” The few years of decreased economic sanctions towards Iran came to an end in May 2018 when the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA. The return of increased U.S. sanctions towards Iran came into effect in November 2018.
USDA National Organic Program – Enforcement & Compliance Overview
What’s the National Organic Program?
Established by Congress and announced in 2000, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (“USDA”) National Organic Program (“NOP”) is a federal regulatory program which develops and enforces uniform national standards for organically-produced agricultural products sold in the United States. NOP operates as a public-private partnership which accredits third-party organizations to certify that farms and businesses meet the national organic standards. By enforcing its standards, NOP ensures a level playing field for producers while protecting consumer confidence in the integrity of the USDA organic seal.
New National Space Policy Drives American Leadership in Space Commerce
National Space Policy Unveiled
On December 9, 2020, the White House released the National Space Policy of the United States of America. Among other objectives, the policy seeks to drive U.S. leadership in space commerce by encouraging the cultivation of U.S. industrial capacity in space innovation.
A Year in Review!
2020 has been a difficult year filled with immense challenge and change (to say the least). From all of us at Diaz Trade Law, we are incredibly thankful and grateful for your support. Despite a pandemic, Diaz Trade Law still managed to save our clients MILLIONS of dollars in 2020. It is with great joy that we finish off 2020 filled with numerous achievements and accomplishments. We look forward to assisting you in what we envision will be a better and brighter 2021!
BIS Expands Export Restrictions Targeting China’s Largest Chipmaker
Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security (“BIS”) informed some U.S. semiconductor manufacturers via a confidential letter that they would require export licenses before exporting certain products to China’s largest semiconductor manufacturer, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (“SMIC”). Although the letter is not available for public view, a September 28, 2020 Wall Street Journal article that broke the story said that the Commerce Department was concerned about high risks of diversion to a military end use. This additional export license requirement is part of a broader pattern of increased export restrictions, particularly to China.
A Year in Review!
DTL saved clients MILLIONS of dollars in 2019. It is with great joy that we finish off 2019 celebrating our fourth anniversary! We would like to thank each of you for being an integral part of making DTL a success.
This year has been filled with numerous achievements and accomplishments. We are grateful for the clients who have entrusted their trade and customs issues to us, and we look forward to assisting you in 2020!
Below we share some of our 2019 success stories with you.
Here are the Major Changes FDA is Proposing to Make to the Sunscreen Rule!
On February 26 2019, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a rule that would alter the regulations associated with the manufacturing and selling of sunscreen, as well as other sun-care related products. Since the closing of the comment period on May 28th, 2019, FDA has received over one thousand comments from industry players voicing their concern over various aspects of the proposed measures.
The proposed rule was issued as part of the regulatory proceeding to put into effect a final monograph for nonprescription, OTC sunscreen drug products under the OTC Drug Review. An OTC monograph establishes conditions under which certain OTC drugs may be marketed without approved new drug applications because they are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) and not misbranded. The proposed rule classifies active ingredients and other conditions as:
Ignorance is No Defense! Learn What CBP Considers Prohibited/Restricted
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), one of the principal agencies under the leadership of DHS, has released an updated list detailing items prohibited from entry into the US. These goods fall under a variety of classifications, including “dangerous toys, cars that don’t protect their occupants in a crash, bush meat, or illegal substances like absinthe and Rohypnol”.