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

Administration

  • The Trump Administration announced the postponement of the scheduled January 1st increase in the upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets, and vanities 232 tariffs. They will remain at 25% (instead of 30% on furniture and 50% on kitchen cabinets and vanities) for an additional year.
  • The White House published a proclamation extending duty-free treatment of some agricultural products under quota from Israel through December 31, 2026. 

Supreme Court

  • The Supreme Court did not release its much-anticipated decision on the fate of IEEPA tariffs on its opinion day, January 9. The Court said it may release additional opinions on January 14.

Industry News

  • The United States filed a customs penalty lawsuit against two importers and their owner, alleging that the defendants undervalued their entries to avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in duties. The government is seeking a penalty of over $3.4 million.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • CBP published an Interim Final Rule regarding electronic refunds. Effective February 6, 2026, CBP will process all refunds electronically. The agency will not issue any refunds by check unless a waiver has been approved.
  • CBP will be hosting three support calls for importers to help them prepare for the transition to electronic refund disbursement via ACH. The calls will be held on Jan. 14, Jan. 28, and Feb. 11 from 2-3 PM EST.
  • CBP published a cargo systems message reminding importers that beginning later this month, they must request review of shipments detained for forced labor enforcement through CBP’s new forced labor portal.
  • CBP published a new HQ ruling finding that an importer bears the burden of providing a complete paper trail if that importer wants to use the first sale. 
  • CBP published a new HQ ruling finding that MOUs can count as evidence of a bona fide order under the Florence Agreement.
  • CBP published the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) quota bulletin covering January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026.
  • CBP published a Federal Register notice proposing to modify several blocks to Entry Summary Form 7501 to allow for the reporting of multiple countries of melt and pour or smelt and cast.

U.S. Department of Commerce

  • Commerce initiated an antidumping and countervailing duty investigation of fresh mushrooms from Canada. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Trade Representative Greer published a “Year of the Tariff” op-ed in the Financial Times, explaining how President Trump’s trade program is accelerating America’s re-industrialization.

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

  • BIS withdrew an interim final rule that was expected to set new import restrictions on certain Chinese-made drones and their components.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

  • OFAC published two amended Russia-frequently asked questions. One regarding central bank transactions, and one regarding the Russian Federation’s “exit tax.”

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

  • The FDA’s Voluntary Qualified Importer Program (VQIP) application portal for fiscal year 2027 opened Jan. 1. The application window will remain open until Sept. 1.
  • A new GAO report revealed that the FDA has not completed several requirements mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act. The report recommended that the agency set goals and milestones to ensure it meets its deadlines required under the Act. 

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

  • The FMC ordered MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company to pay about $22.7 million in civil penalties for violating U.S. shipping laws, an increase from the $16 million amount the company was fined last year for overcharging demurrage and detention fees.
  • The New York-based entity formerly known as Bed Bath & Beyond filed a complaint against South Korean ocean carrier HMM Co., accusing the carrier of failing to meet its service commitments and unfairly charging millions of dollars in demurrage and detention fees.

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