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

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • CBP has expanded its partnership with data technology company Kharon to enforce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and other trade laws.
  • CBP is revising instructions for Form 7501, which is used to clarify what defines country of melt and pour for steel imports and what defines country of smelted and cast for aluminum imports. Comments on the revisions are due December 31. 
  • CBP officers in Cincinnati seized a shipment of 52 counterfeit watches from Colombia. Had these goods been genuine, the shipment would have had a combined Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $6.37 million.
  • Reminder: the annual user fee for customs brokers is due January 30, 2025. 

Department of Justice

  • Electronics importer agreed to pay more than $11 million to settle allegations it evaded AD/CV duties on aluminum extrusions from China. 

U.S. Department of Commerce

  • Commerce, in partnership with USTR, published a notice stating that reductions of reciprocal tariffs on South Korea, as well as of Section 232 tariffs on South Korean lumber, will take retroactive effect on Nov. 14 under the recently agreed trade deal.
  • Commerce, in partnership with USTR, announced an agreement with the UK National Health Service. Under the agreement, the UK will pay more for new medicines, and the U.S. will exempt U.K.-origin pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients, and medical technology from Section 232 tariffs.
  • Commerce, in partnership with the Department of State and the Department of War, announced the launch of USXPORTS.gov, a unified portal for navigating export license applications. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  • The USTR held three days of hearings regarding the operation of the USMCA in preparation for the six-year review of the agreement in July 2026. Witnesses included members of the U.S. Congress, think tank representatives, and industry trade groups.
  • Following the latest U.S.-China trade agreement, USTR extended through Nov. 9, 2026, the exclusion of 178 products from Section 301 tariffs on China.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

  • OFAC announced an $11M settlement with IPI Partners, LLC to settle its civil liability for 51 apparent violations of OFAC’s sanctions against Russia. 

Congress

  • Three U.S. House representatives introduced the No GOUGE Act, which would punish large companies that set prices higher than the costs directly generated by new tariffs.
  • Senator Cotton of Arkansas wrote a letter to the U.S. attorney general and Homeland Security Investigations asking them to prioritize Shein and Temu facilities for immediate inspections, citing concerns over their counterfeits and intellectual property theft.

Industry News

  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced that his office is launching an investigation into whether online retailer Shein is committing unethical labor practices in violation of Texas law. 
  • The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission released its 2025 report to Congress. The report included several recommendations to tighten export controls to address the ongoing security challenges posed by China.

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