Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
  • CBP published guidance on Section 232 tariffs on timber, lumber, and derivative products. 
  • CBP will be moving forward with using HAP International’s TRACE ID program, following a successful technical assessment of the program’s shipment-level traceability data it provides. 
  • During a conference call last week, a CBP official confirmed the agency cannot offer refunds or any payments that involve receiving a check during the government shutdown. 
  • CBP published a Federal Register Notice amending the agency’s National Customs Automation Program (NCAP) test. Test participants must now pay supplemental duty bills for an underpayment of estimated duties via ACH.
Administration
  • In a joint press conference, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the administration is in the process of drafting documents to increase tariffs on Chinese goods.
  • The Administration and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca announced that they reached a deal that will delay Section 232 tariffs for three years.
  • President Trump delayed the 25% tariffs on medium and heavy-duty trucks to November 1, 2025.
Court of International Trade (CIT)
  • The CIT upheld CBP’s determination that a wood importer evaded the antidumping duty and countervailing duty orders on wooden cabinets and vanities from China.
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
  • BIS posted 95 requests for the inclusion of new tariff subheadings under Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives. Comments on the inclusion requests are due in 14 days, on Oct. 21. 
United States Trade Representative (USTR)
  • USTR published a Federal Register Notice delaying new ship docking fees that were set to take effect from October 14 to December 10.  
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  • The FDA announced that, effective Oct. 31, it will require import certification for shrimp and spices from certain regions of Indonesia due to the increased risk of potential contamination with Cesium-137. 
Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC)
  • OFAC, along with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, took the largest action ever against criminal networks responsible for targeting citizens of the United States and other allied nations through online scams and the laundering of stolen funds.
Congress
  • Senator Wyden reintroduced a resolution to terminate the reciprocal tariffs emergency declared by President Trump under IEEPA.  
  • Twenty-one House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump urging him to end tariffs on India and repair the “strained” relationship with the country.
Industry News
  • Two trade associations, along with 10 seafood importers, filed a lawsuit in the Court of International Trade challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s comparability findings of 240 fisheries across 46 nations. These findings led to an import ban on all seafood products from these fisheries effective Jan. 1, 2026.
International News
  • China announced it is now imposing port fees on U.S. ships in response to the USTR’s Section 301 investigation of China’s maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Effective Oct. 14, China will collect “special port fees” for ships built in the U.S., flying a U.S. flag, or owned or operated by U.S. entities.

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