Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • CBP issued two rulings on duty-free classification under HTSUS heading 9817. In HQ H350718, CBP ruled that adjustable braces do not qualify for duty-free treatment. In HQ H349574, CBP ruled that components of a respiratory oxygen platform do qualify for duty-free treatment.
  • CBP agriculture specialists at the Port of San Luis intercepted a pest identified as Osbornellus salsus; it was the first time this species has been identified in the United States.

Administration

  • President Trump said that he expects to reach a trade agreement with Chinese President Xi Jinping when they meet in South Korea next week that could range from soybean purchases to limits on nuclear weapons.
  • Speaking to reporters, President Trump said that he intends to increase tariffs on Colombian goods on Oct. 21. 

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

  • OFAC announced new sanctions targeting Russia’s two largest oil companies, citing Moscow’s “lack of serious commitment” to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.

Court of International Trade (CIT)

  • The CIT granted the government’s motion for default judgment against importer E-Dong, U.S.A., for negligently failing to pay a federal excise tax on Korean distilled beverage soju. The judge ordered E-Dong to pay $234,748.30 in unpaid tax plus interest. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

  • USTR released a Section 301 report concluding that Nicaragua’s leaders are repressing labor rights and human rights, and dismantling the rule of law. The report laid out several courses of action in response, including suspending CAFTA-DR benefits and imposing new tariffs.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

  • The FDA posted several new Import Alerts now subject to detention without physical examination:
    • Processed human and animal foods for pesticides
    • Raw agricultural products for pesticides
    • Foods containing illegal and/or undeclared colors
    • Mini-cup gel and jelly candies that present a risk of choking
  • Reminder! Foreign and domestic medical device facilities must renew their registration with the FDA by December 31, 2025.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

  • FMC Commissioner nominees Laura DiBella and Robert Harvey testified in front of the Senate Commerce Committee and testified that if confirmed, they would vigorously enforce the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022.

Congress

  • House Representative Sean Casten, along with 36 other Democrats, sent a letter to President Trump urging him to terminate the IEEPA reciprocal tariffs and fentanyl tariffs, saying they are having a significant negative impact on U.S. soybean farmers.

Industry News

  • The 12 U.S. states challenging President Trump’s ability to impose IEEPA tariffs filed their reply brief at the Supreme Court, arguing that the statute doesn’t allow for any tariffs to be imposed. 
  • UPS told NBC News that packages are piling up in UPS warehouses due to customs issues, and the company has begun “disposing of” some shipments.
  • S&P Global released a new Market Intelligence Report revealing that new tariffs will cost businesses more than $1.2 trillion this year.

The International Maritime Organization voted to postpone an effort to advance an international agreement on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector. The IMO will revisit in 12 months.

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