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 be approximately $125,000.  

Congress   

  • The Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries (SAFE) Act has been introduced in both the House and Senate. The bill would restrict who can act as an importer of record, in an attempt to limit non-resident IORs.  

International Trade Commission (ITC) 

  • The ITC ended a countervailing duty investigation on silicon metal from Thailand, finding that there was no injury to U.S. producers because imports of the product were negligible. As a result, the Commerce Department will not issue a CVD order on silicon metal, and all duties collected during the investigations will be refunded. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)    

  • U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Mexican Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard met to kick off bilateral technical discussions in advance of the USMCA Joint Review on July 1. Technical teams were instructed to review specific options for increasing U.S. and Mexican production and manufacturing employment, while limiting non-market inputs into North American supply chains. 

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)    

  • OFAC designated four “sham” charities that directly fund Hamas’s Military Wing and its terrorist activities. All property and interests in property of the designated or blocked persons that are in the U.S. or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC. 
  • OFAC sanctioned six individuals and two entities for their roles in Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) government-orchestrated information technology worker schemes that systematically defraud U.S. businesses and generate revenue to fund the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, including nearly $800 million in 2024. 
  • OFAC announced that TradeStation Securities, Inc. has agreed to pay $1.1M to settle its potential civil liability for 481 apparent violations of OFAC sanctions programs arising from the company’s provision of brokerage and investment services to persons in Iran, Syria, and Crimea. 
  • OFAC issued Venezuela-related General License 52, “Authorizing Certain Transactions Involving Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.” 
  • OFAC issued Russia-related General License 134A, “Authorizing the Delivery and Sale of Crude Oil and Petroleum Products of Russian Federation Origin Loaded on Vessels as of March 12, 2026.” 

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 

  • A Japanese manufacturing company has agreed to pay an $11.5 million civil penalty following charges that the company knowingly failed to report to CPSC that some of its bicycle models contained a defect which could create a serious risk of injury or death to consumers. 

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)  

  • The FMC released a statement regarding the impact the current conflict in the Middle East is having on shipping conditions through the Strait of Hormuz. The Commission reminded the industry that it ensures that rates, charges, and rules that common carriers have implemented as a result of the threats to commercial shipping in the Strait and neighboring waters do not violate the Shipping Act. 

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