| Customs & International Trade Law Blog

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

Administration

• President Trump announced a trade deal with Japan. A 15% tariff rate will apply to all Japanese imports. Japan also committed $550B to invest in U.S. industry.
• President Trump announced a trade deal with the Philippines. A 19% tariff rate will apply to all Philippine imports.
• During a Congressional reception, President Trump threatened to ban the import of German cars if the EU doesn’t allow drugmakers to sell in their countries at higher prices.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

• CBP published a Federal Register notice announcing the agency will be adjusting certain customs user fees and corresponding limitations established by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for Fiscal Year 2026.

Court of International Trade (CIT)

• CIT hands down $3.4M penalty against importers for duty evasion.
• Two orange juice importers asked the CIT to either temporarily, preliminarily, or permanently enjoin the federal government from imposing and enforcing the Administration’s threatened 50% tariff on Brazil. 

United States Trade Representative (USTR)

• The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill that included an increase in funding for USTR of $6 million, more than 10%.

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

• The Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a funding bill that included an increase in funding for BIS of $20 million, almost 10%.

Department of Justice (DoJ)

• A Lebanese national was sentenced to 44 months in prison for conspiring to export goods from the United States to Iran without a license.

Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)

• OFAC is transitioning its Licensing Hotline to a new online platform. The hotline will now accept questions directly through an online form. Users of the online platform will receive answers to their questions via email or by phone.

Federal Maritime Commission (FMC)

• At a hearing in front of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, several members of Congress expressed concern regarding FMC resourcing and said they were worried about the agency’s ability to enforce shipping laws.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comments on plant pest and noxious weeds regulations. 

Congress

• A coalition of four House Representatives introduced a package of cosmetics-related bills. 
  • The Toxic-Free Beauty Act would ban 18 toxic chemicals and two whole classes of chemicals. 
  • The  Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act would require suppliers of raw materials, ingredients, and private-label products to provide full disclosure and safety data to cosmetic companies. 
  • The Cosmetic Hazardous Ingredient Right to Know Act would require product labels and website disclosure of secret, unlabeled, and toxic chemicals in personal care products.
  • The Cosmetic Safety Protections for Communities of Color and Salon Workers Act would fund research, resource materials, education and outreach, and the development of safer chemicals to protect the health of women of color and salon workers.

Industry News

• The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit dismissed a lawsuit from eight Malian citizens against seven U.S. cocoa importers for lack of standing. The citizens claimed that the importers violated slavery and human trafficking laws. 
• Advocacy group the New Civil Liberties Alliance filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The suit was filed on behalf of outdoor cooking product maker FIREDISC, the Game Manufacturers Association, and wood product maker Ryan Wholesale.