Importers Archives | Customs & International Trade Law Blog

New AD/CVD Case Filed Against Choline Salts from China

A new antidumping and countervailing duty action has been filed against Choline Salts from China. The allegation is that imports from China are being dumped and unfairly subsidized.

Full list of importers here.
Full list of exporters here.

Background on AD/CVD Investigations

Antidumping duty (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) investigations are brought jointly by the U.S. International Trade Commission (“USITC”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”). AD investigations are triggered when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports of particular goods from specific countries being sold at less than a fair value. Meanwhile, CVD investigations are initiated when a domestic industry alleges that it has been injured by competing imports unfairly subsidized by their governments. The domestic industry initiating the investigation is known as the petitioner, while the foreign industry participating in the investigation is known as the respondent.

Scope of the Investigation

The merchandise covered by these investigations is choline salts, in all forms and purities.

The products subject to the investigation are currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) under the following subheadings: 2923.10.0000, 2106.90.9998, 2309.90.1005, 2309.90.1015, 2309.90.1020, 2309.90.1030, 2309.90.1032, 2309.90.1035, 2309.90.1045, 2309.90.1050, 2309.90.9500, and 3824.99.9397.

Full scope here.

Next Steps

The Commerce Department will determine whether to initiate the […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2026-06-26T12:37:23-04:00June 26, 2026|AD/CVD, China, Import, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC)|Comments Off

Tariffs are Bad, So Are Non-tariff Barriers

We are pleased to share our latest feature in the National Interest! View the original article here.

Jennifer Diaz – Board-certified international attorney and President of Diaz Trade Law
Jerry Haar – Professor and Executive Director, The Americas, Florida International University – College of Business

Tariffs, which Donald Trump once called “the most beautiful word in the dictionary,” constitute the centerpiece of his administration’s trade and economic policies. The tariff theme featured prominently in the president’s State of the Union address on March 4 and represents a clear article of faith for him. The April 2 “Liberation Day” announcement of new sweeping tariffs makes it crystal clear that the president means business.

New U.S. tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico, and China are estimated to increase tax revenue by $600–650 billion over ten years. The cost to American households in raised prices would be equivalent to a $2,100 tax hike, according to the Tax Foundation.

However, “non-tariff barriers”—impediments to free market commerce that are far more pernicious than tariffs are absent from the discussion on tariffs. These policy-related measures that can restrict trade between countries include quotas, licensing requirements, import bans, subsidies, customs procedures, technical regulations, and standards.

In the global context, non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs) can increase the cost of trade by raising compliance costs, delaying shipments, and adding layers of bureaucracy. For example, […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2025-04-13T12:37:04-04:00April 9, 2025|Tariffs|Comments Off

The Latest on Tariffs: Key Information for Importers

In the last several weeks, the Trump Administration has issued dozens of executive orders impacting the trade community. The Orders impact tariffs, de minimis shipments, steel and aluminum imports, and potentially trade agreements with other countries.

New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China

On February 1, 2025, President Trump first issued a fact sheet and thereafter signed three executive orders imposing new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China:

25% tariff on imports from Canada
25% tariff on imports from Mexico
10% tariff on imports from China

The tariffs on imports from China went into effect February 4, 2025. The tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico were initially set to take effect February 4, 2025, but were delayed by one month following commitments made by both countries to secure the border and stop the flow of drugs into the United States.

In a Truth Social post on February 27, President Trump confirmed that the tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods will go into effect on March 4. He also announced that China will face an additional 10% tariff starting March 4.

On March 3, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order increasing tariffs on imports from China from 10% to 20%. The same day at a White House event, President Trump confirmed that the tariffs on Canada and Mexico will go into effect on March 4, 2025 as planned.

Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff. The orders ended duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 for products from China subject to […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2025-03-07T18:16:31-05:00March 4, 2025|Canada, China, Countries, Mexico, Tariffs|Comments Off

New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China: Key Updates for Importers

Over the weekend, President Trump first issued a fact sheet and thereafter signed three executive orders imposing new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China:

25% tariff on imports from Canada will take effect at least 30 days from Feb. 4, 2025.
25% tariff on imports from Mexico are now scheduled to take effect on March 4, 2025.
10% tariff on imports from China will take effect on February 4, 2025.

In a Truth Social post on February 27, President Trump confirmed that the tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods will go into effect on March 4. He also announced that China will face an additional 10% tariff starting March 4.

Energy resources from Canada will have a lower 10% tariff. The orders ended duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 for products from China subject to these additional tariffs. However, President Trump signed a subsequent executive order pausing the suspension of de minimis treatment.

Tariffs will be on top of any other in place (301, 232, ADD, etc.) The Federal Register Notice for Canada can be found here and the Federal Register Notice for China can be found here. […]

By Jennifer Diaz|2025-02-28T08:30:28-05:00February 3, 2025|Canada, China, Countries, Import, Mexico, news|Comments Off

Food Importers: How to Import Food Compliantly & Survive a FSVP Audit

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now auditing Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) Importers to ensure they comply with the FSVP program. To date, over 92 warning letters have been issued against companies for FSVP violations. If your business is importing food into the U.S., or wants to start, our one-hour, NEI accredited, webinar on “Importing Food in Compliance with U.S. FDA & Surviving A FSVP Audit” will provide best practices and TOP tips to comply with FDA regulations and avoid, navigate, and mitigate any potential FDA compliance action.

Register today to to hear directly from Senior Trade Advisor, Domenic Veneziano, DTL’s president, Jennifer Diaz, and Associate Attorney, Denise Calle, on the pathway to legally import food and best practices for surviving a FSVP audit.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-09-07T15:53:46-04:00September 6, 2021|Best Practices, Food, Import, International Trade, Labeling, Pre-compliance, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|Comments Off

Jen Diaz to Moderate FCBF Webinar on IPR featuring CBP Branch Chief and UL

Diaz Trade Law is excited to announce that President Jennifer Diaz will be moderating the upcoming FCBF webinar titled “IPR with CBP and UL” with the Chief of the Intellectual Property Rights Branch of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Alaina van Horn, and UL Brand Protection Manager, Lisa Deere.

The Florida Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association (FCBF) encourages all custom brokers, patent, trademark and all international trade professional to join its Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and UL. This one-hour webinar will give custom brokers, importers, and all other international trade professionals the ability to learn and understand CBP’s IPR customs and enforcement.

This webinar will be Friday, September 3, 2021 at 11:30 AM EST.

Register Now!

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-09-02T16:43:47-04:00September 2, 2021|Best Practices, Counterfeits, Customs Broker, Import, International Trade, IPR, Trademarks and Logos, Seizures, Speaking, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)|Comments Off

Don’t Let FDA Target Your Medical Device Company

Did you know FDA has issued 1,569 enforcement actions against medical device companies? Now is the time to ensure your medical devices are in compliance with FDA laws and regulations prior to importation. If your business is manufacturing, repackaging, relabeling, and/or importing medical devices into the U.S., or wants to start, our one-hour webinar on “Importing Medical Devices in Compliance with U.S. FDA” is for you. We will provide TOP tips to avoid U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement action, and best practices to navigate and mitigate FDA enforcement.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-10-07T14:48:15-04:00August 10, 2021|COVID-19, Import, Import Alert, International Business, International Law, International Trade, Labeling, Medical Devices, PPE, Pre-compliance, Speaking, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)|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

Hong Kong’s Initiates Dispute Regarding U.S.-Origin Marking Requirement

What Happened

On October 30, 2021, Hong Kong, China requested consultations with the United States regarding U.S. measures affecting origin markings on goods imported from Hong Kong to the United States. On November 24, 2020, the United States and Hong Kong held consultations on the matter. On January 14, 2021, Hong Kong requested the World Trade Organization (“WTO”) to establish a dispute settlement panel. In response, the WTO established a dispute settlement panel on February 22, 2021.

[…]

By Jennifer Diaz|2021-10-12T14:47:08-04:00March 12, 2021|China, China Trade War, Customs Expert, Enforcement, Export, International Business, International Law, International Trade|Comments Off

FDA Import Alert on Mexican Hand Sanitizer

For the first time in history, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a countrywide import alert for any category of drug product. Specifically, on January 26, 2021, the FDA announced that it will Take Action to Place All Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers from Mexico on Import Alert to Help Prevent Entry of Violative and Potentially Dangerous Products into U.S., Protect U.S. Consumers. FDA singled out importations of hand sanitizers from Mexico due to the frequent use of methanol.

[…]