Trade Trends & Hot Topics for 2026! What’s coming in 2026? In the second session of our webinar series, we’ll explore the trends and developments on the horizon – from manufacturing shifts and global sourcing strategies to updates in free…
Trade News
USTR: New Section 301 Fees Imposed on Chinese-Owned, Operated, and Built Vessels, Plus All Foreign Vehicle Carriers
There are new Section 301 fees for vessels owned, operated, or built in China, and for all foreign-built vehicle carrier vessels. The burden for determining if a vessel owes the fee is on the operator, NOT CBP. Fees must be…
DOJ: Los Angeles Clothing Importer Sentenced for $17 Million Tax Evasion and $8 Million Customs Fraud in Operation Take Back America
A wholesale clothing importer located in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles has been sentenced for avoiding the payment of more than $8 million in customs duties on imported clothing more than $17 million in tax evasion. The scheme…
MOFCOM: China Tightens Grip on Rare Earth Exports, Imposes New Restrictions on Key Tech and Energy Materials
China announced new control and export restriction measures on materials and technologies related to rare earths – key resources for the digital, automotive and energy industries. “Starting from November 8, items related to super-hard materials, equipment and raw materials linked…
Justice: Maine Man Charged Under Lacey Act for Trafficking Bird and Whale Parts Imported from Eastern Europe
A man in Maine was caught trafficking bird and whale parts, which violates the Lacey Act. He imported them from Eastern Europe to sell in the US. He is facing a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years…
DDTC: Licensing, Registrations, and Public Access Delayed Until Further Notice
Due to a lapse in appropriations, services at the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) are significantly curtailed, including Defense Export Control and Compliance System (DECCS) submissions for registrations, licenses (including batch submissions), speaker requests, customer support, Advisory Opinions, and…
CBP: ACE CERT Enhancement on Oct. 7 Increases Statement Capacity to 9,999 Entry Summaries
An October 7th enhancement is planned in the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) Certification (CERT) environment to increase the maximum number of entry summaries on a statement from 2,000 to 9,999. As Section 321 de minimis is no more, more entries…
CBP: Withhold Release Order Issued on Giant Bicycles Over Forced Labor Concerns
A withhold release order (WRO) has been issued. Effective September 24, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel at all U.S. ports of entry will detain bicycles, bicycle parts, and accessories manufactured by Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Giant) in…
BIS: U.S. Eases Export Rules for Civilian Goods to Syria Under New License Exception
Specifically, this rule adds a new license exception SPP (Syria peace and prosperity) under which U.S.-origin goods, software, and technology that have purely civilian uses (i.e., those classified as EAR99), as well as consumer communications devices and certain items related…
ITC: Stainless Steel Trade Case Nears Final Stage as ITC Weighs Duty Decision
Corrosion resistant steel also known as stainless steel has received a final determination from commerce and is waiting for one from the ITC. The ITC has 45 days to determine this. If they agree, we will start to see duties…
BIS: U.S. Revokes License-Free Exports for Foreign Chip Fabs in China
In 2023, the Validated End-User (VEU) program was expanded to allow a select group of foreign semiconductor manufacturers to export most U.S.-origin goods, software, and technology license-free to manufacture semiconductors in China. No U.S.-owned fab has this privilege – and…
DOF: Mexico Blocks Footwear in Maquiladoras and Plans Tariff Hikes on China
Recently Mexico announced their intent to not allow footwear into the Maquiladora. The headings for footwear were added to the list and published in the Gazette here. The Gazette shows a list of all headings not allowed in the Maquiladora.…
USCB: $2.2B in July Steel Imports, Slightly Up From June but Down Year-to-Date
The U.S. Census Bureau announced today that preliminary July steel imports were $2.2 billion (2.0 million metric tons) compared to the preliminary June totals of $2.1 billion (2.0 million metric tons). The July change in steel imports based on metric…