Another busy month in international trade. Here is a roundup of the latest legal and policy developments.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • CBP released their January 2025 monthly update. Highlights:
    • Seized 1,977 shipments that contained counterfeit goods.
    • Stopped 1,986 shipments for suspected use of forced labor.
    • Identified $71 million in duties and fees owed to the U.S. government.
  • CBP announced the results of their recently completed global interoperability standards technology demonstrations. The results will help the agency in its efforts to modernize ACE 2.0 and make it consistent with CBP’s 21st Century Customs Framework.

Administration

  • In a Truth Social post, President Trump stated that the suspended 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada will go into effect on March 4. He also stated that China will also face an additional 10% tariff beginning March 4.
  • President Trump issued a memorandum titled “Defending American Companies and Innovators From Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties.” The memo instructs USTR to consider whether to renew 301 investigations of several Digital Services Taxes and other policies that may discriminate against the United States.
  • In a Truth Social post, President Trump announced that on March 1, the Administration is terminating the “Concession Agreement” that the Biden Administration reached with Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela. The agreement involved oil transactions and electoral conditions. According to the post, the electoral conditions have not been met and the country has failed to transport Venezuelan migrants back to Venezuela.
  • During a White House Cabinet meeting on Feb. 26, President Trump stated the Administration would soon be announcing a likely 25% reciprocal tariff on EU imports.
  • President Trump signed two Presidential Proclamations imposing 25% Section 232 duties on all imported steel and aluminum.

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

  • BIS has paused reviews of new export license applications submitted this month without explanation.

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  • USTR requests comments on unfair trade practices and non-reciprocal trade arrangements.
  • USTR published a Federal Register Notice proposing charging Chinese ships up to $1.5 million to enter US ports.
  • The United States Senate voted to confirm Jamieson Greer as United States Trade Representative.

World Trade Organization (WTO)

  • WTO members for the first time agreed to undertake a comprehensive review of the WTO’s functions in order to ensure the organization is capable of responding more effectively to the challenges facing the multilateral trading system.

Court of International Trade (CIT)

  • The U.S. brought a complaint against importer Shunny Corp., alleging that the company negligently misreported the country of origin of its health products to avoid import duties. The government is seeking nearly $200,000 in unpaid duties, along with a nearly $1.4 million penalty.

U.S. Census Bureau

  • Effective March 3, the Census Bureau will implement the use of a fillable form for the submission of Voluntary Self Disclosures (VSDs). The intent of the form is to streamline the process.

Department of Justice (DoJ)

  • Israeli freight forwarder sentenced to two years in prison for violating export restrictions imposed on Russia.
  • An Ohio-based supplier of aircraft parts and three employees were charged for an illicit export scheme involving Russia.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

  • A Florida-based non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) has paid $165,000 in civil penalties and agreed to accept and self-finance independent monitoring of their business practices as part of two separate compromise agreements reached with the agency.
  • A FMC administrative law judge ordered Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) to pay $16 million in civil penalties for violating U.S. shipping laws.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) National Organics Program (NOP) warned that certifiers and certified operations have received phishing emails from sources pretending to be USDA.
  • The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is temporarily delaying the effective date of the new user fee structure for agriculture inspections, which was previously due to take effect Jan. 29. The new effective date is March 20.

Congress

  • A bipartisan group of Senators introduced the “Level the Playing Field Act 2.0” which would provide more tools for the U.S. to stop illegal dumping and subsidies.
  • Representative Bost of Illinois introduced the Fighting Trade Cheats Act, which would allow domestic manufacturers to sue foreign producers for customs fraud.
  • Senators Lankford, Kelly, and Ciscomani reintroduced the BEST Facilitation Act which would create regional command centers where CBP image technicians can review the images generated by NII scans.

Industry News

  • The MDI Fair Trade Coalition filed a petition with the USITC for the imposition of antidumping duties on imports of Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate from China.