Snapshot

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 […]
  

Another busy month in customs & international trade news: 

Court of International Trade (CIT) 

• On March 4, 2026, Judge Eaton issued a strong and detailed order requiring the refunds of IEEPA Tariffs. We expect the government to appeal this order. Judge Eaton issued subsequent orders: (i) suspending the previous order to allow CBP time to implement their refund process; (ii) amending the previous order to include Brazil and India IEEPA tariffs.  
• New York Attorney General Letitia James and prosecutors from 23 other states filed a lawsuit in the CIT to block President Trump’s global tariff regime under Section 122 and order refunds to states.  

Administration   

• President Trump issued a 60-day waiver to the Jones Act, temporarily allowing foreign-flagged ships carrying oil and gas to travel between US ports. 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)    

• CBP ruled that the submission of a CBP Form 5106 on an importer’s behalf constitutes “customs business” and requires a broker license.  
• CBP’s Trade and Cargo Security Summit has been rescheduled to Sept. 8-10, from its original dates in April. CBP said this is due to the DHS lapse in appropriations. 

Congress   

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

Administration    

• President Trump issued a 60-day waiver to the Jones Act, temporarily allowing foreign-flagged ships carrying oil and gas to travel between US ports. 
• The text of the Ecuador-U.S. trade agreement was released and includes a long list of products that will receive most-favored nation tariff rate treatment in the U.S. Roughly 50% of Ecuador’s exports will see MFN treatment as a result of the deal.  

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)    

• CBP ruled that the submission of a CBP Form 5106 on an importer’s behalf constitutes “customs business” and requires a broker license. 
• CBP seized 35 e-bikes from China that violated federal motor vehicle safety standards. 
• Ahead of Passover and Easter season, CBP issued a reminder to check the latest agricultural import requirements for those traveling with fresh flowers, plants, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and decorated eggs. 
• CBP officers at the Port of Rochester and Port of Buffalo seized a variety of designer items bearing counterfeit trademarks. Had these designer items been genuine, the total manufacturer-suggested retail price (MSRP) value would […]
  

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

Court of International Trade (CIT) 

• On March 4, 2026, Judge Eaton issued a strong and detailed order requiring the refunds for entries of every plaintiff before the CIT who has challenged these IEEPA Tariffs. It is not clear whether he is also ordering the refunds for everyone else not in court, which will unquestionably be further litigated. We continue to believe that filing litigation at the CIT is the surest bet to get refunds of IEEPA duties and to get refunds quickly. 
• New York Attorney General Letitia James and prosecutors from 23 other states filed a lawsuit in the CIT to block President Trump’s global tariff regime and order refunds to states. 

Administration   

• In an interview with CNBC, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the Section 122 tariff rate will increase from 10% to 15% “sometime this week.” 

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)   

• CBP officers in Philadelphia seized 36 copper-alloy short swords and 50 copper-alloy arrowheads that date back to the Bronze Age, almost 4,000 years ago. 

Department of Commerce 

• A new antidumping and countervailing duty action has been filed against large-diameter graphite electrodes from China […]