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

Administration

  • On April 2, 2026, the President issued a proclamation strengthening Section 232 actions to adjust imports of aluminum, steel, and copper, continuing to cite national security concerns and the need to reinforce domestic metals industries. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)    

  • CBP filed an update on the progress of the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) system that will be used to refund the tariffs imposed under the IEEPA.   
  • On April 1, CBP released a modernized ACE Secure Data Portal account application for the trade community.  
  • CBP said in a notice that it is no longer actively investigating allegations that cocoa from Cote d’Ivoire is being made with forced labor. 
  • CBP filed a stipulated judgment with the CIT stating that products from importer Camel Energy aren’t subject to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). The judgment follows a review of Camel’s supply chain, which determined that entries of batteries did not violate the UFLPA.  

United States Trade Representative (USTR) 

  • USTR released the 2026 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE). The report highlights significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports, U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI), and U.S. electronic commerce. 
  • In an interview with Bloomberg, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said plans are in the works to establish a Board of Trade to manage trade between the U.S. and China. 

Congress   

  • U.S. Senators Baldwin and Moreno wrote a letter to the Commerce Department asking it to open a 232 investigation into the national security threat of imports of heavy machinery. 
  • The Defending American Property Abroad passed the House of Representatives. The bill would give the president the authority to prohibit passenger and cargo ships from calling on U.S. ports if they visited the former Vulcan Materials port in Mexico. 

U.S. Department of the Treasury

  • FinCEN proposed a rule to establish a whistleblower program that offers incentives and protections to encourage individuals who have information about potential violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), Trading With the Enemy Act of 1917 (TWEA), and the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act).

World Trade Organization (WTO) 

  • During the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), members of the WTO failed to reach an agreement on extending the moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions. 

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)    

  • OFAC issued a sanctions advisory to highlight sanctions risks arising from sham transactions used to evade sanctions and to identify factors to consider when evaluating whether property may be the subject of a sham transaction. 
  • OFAC issued several Venezuela-related General Licenses, including gold, services for minerals operations, and certain investments in Venezuela’s minerals sector.  

Department of Commerce 

  • The Department of Commerce released a Fact Sheet announcing three new energy projects under the U.S.-Japan trade deal. 
  • The Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued over $222,000 in civil penalties against two seafood importers accused of mislabeling tuna cans as “dolphin safe.” 

Federal Drug Administration (FDA) 

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the FMC’s 2022 rule defining an unreasonable refusal to deal or to negotiate with respect to vessel space. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

  • EPA officials visited the port of New York/Newark as part of inspection activities to prevent the importation of illegal toxic and polluting imports.  
  • The EPA issued a proposed rule to extend the reporting deadline for the Health and Safety Data Reporting Rule by one year until May 21, 2027. Comments on the rule are due on April 29. 

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