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 and India. The allegation is that imports from China and India are unfairly subsidized and are being dumped.  

Congress  

  • U.S. House Representative Steube introduced a bill that would ban the import of energy storage systems that include remote monitoring capabilities, if they are made by Chinese-owned firms, or made with technology licensed from Chinese firms. 
  • A group of democrat U.S. House Representatives introduced a bill called the Tariff Free Farming Act to end higher tariffs on farming products, including steel, lumber, fencing, tractors, combines, replacement parts, animal feed, fertilizer, and more. 

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 

  • BIS announced an Administrative Enforcement Settlement with Teledyne FLIR LLC and its affiliates for 19 EAR violations involving the company’s export of thermal imaging cameras to China. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)   

  • Representative Greer delivered President Trump’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda and 2025 Annual Report to Congress. The Report offers a comprehensive account of USTR’s actions to support President Trump’s trade agenda, including negotiations with key trading partners to protect U.S. jobs and expand market access for U.S. exporters. 
  • USTR released the findings of its 2025 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (the Notorious Markets List).  The list identified 37 online markets and 32 physical markets that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.  
  • USTR published four Federal Register notices requesting applications for four committees: the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade, the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa, and the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee. Nominations are due by March 25.  

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)   

  • On March 5, 2026, the FDA published a Final Rule adopting a new format for the National Drug Code (NDC). The rule takes effect on March 7, 2033. 

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)   

  • OFAC issued six new Venezuela-related Frequently Asked Questions. 

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) 

  • The FMC dismissed a claim against NVOCC Transparent International, saying claimant Persimmon August failed to show that the firm acted unreasonably when it shipped an antique grand piano from Germany to the U.S. The piano arrived in the U.S. in September 2024 but remained in a warehouse for several months after the Fish and Wildlife Service flagged the container for containing undisclosed ivory. 

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