Here is a recap of the latest customs and international trade news:    

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 

  • 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. 
  • CBP published a Federal Register notice decreasing the IRS rates used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties. 
  • Reminder: Registration for the April 23 CBLE is open and will close March 12 at 4:30 p.m. EDT.  
  • CBP created Harmonized Systems Updates 2505 and 2506.  

Administration 

  • 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.

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. 
  • The Premier Alliance Agreement took effect Feb. 9. The Agreement allows HMM Co., Ltd., Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd., and Yang Ming Joint Service Agreement to share vessels in the trades between the U.S. and Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. 

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) 

  • The FTC has adjusted the maximum civil penalty dollar amounts for FTC Act violations – the new maximum civil penalty has increased from $51,744 to $53,088 

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) 

  • OFAC announced an update to the License Application Portal. The portal now features an option to establish an account to submit requests for specific licenses or interpretive guidance, or submit reports required by some specific licenses.  

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. International Trade Commission (USITC) 

  • The USITC determined that a U.S. industry is not materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of glass wine bottles from China and Mexico at less than fair value. Commerce will not issue antidumping duty orders on imports of this product from China and Mexico.  

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.  

U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ)

  • U.S. Army Major sentenced to 70 Months for smuggling firearms to Ghana. 
  • Authorities seized a Dassault Falcon 2000EX aircraft used by Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the sanctioned Venezuelan state-owned oil and natural-gas company, at the request of the U.S. government based on violations of U.S. export control and sanctions laws. 
  • An Ohio-based supplier of aircraft parts and three employees were charged for an illicit export scheme involving Russia.

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 group of bipartisan Senators reintroduced a bill that would authorize the U.S. trade representative to negotiate specialized trade agreements focused on critical minerals and rare earth elements.  

International 

  • The Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry announced that Japan has asked the Trump administration to exempt it from new 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. 

Industry News 

  • A California customs broker plead guilty to defrauding importers out of more than $5 million.  

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