Trade Alerts

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will deploy functionality to integrate Electronic Phytosanitary Certificates (ePhyto) into the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) on September 26, 2020. This change will help automate phytosanitary certificates by using the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in ACE as the new channel for submission. According to a September 4,…

Beginning on October 13, 2020, users will find changes in the Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis (SIMA) system. A new field will require users to indicate the country of melt and pour on all standard licenses (regardless of country of origin). On this date, SIMA will also be updated for the first time in ten…

According to CSMS 44153809, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced the new Customs user fees and limitations for the fiscal year 2021. CBP’s fiscal year 2021 begins October 1, 2020, which is when the fees will go into effect. A complete list of these fees and the methodology used in determining them can…

On September 20, 2020, over 100 exclusions from Lists 1 and 2 of the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods are set to expire. The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) granted exclusion extensions for 62 of the 310 exclusions found on List 1 and 17 of the 86 exclusions found on List 2;…

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) released a statement today announcing that the Section 232 tariffs of 10% on Canadian-origin, non-alloyed, unwrought aluminum will be rescinded. Duty-free treatment of these goods will be retroactive to September 1, 2020. The tariff initially went into effect on August 16, 2020. The USTR laid out the…

A lawsuit was filed in the Court of International Trade (CIT) on September 10, 2020, claiming the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) overstepped its authority regarding the Section 301 actions on Chinese goods, specifically Lists 3 and 4A. If the suit is successful, importers who file independently could be owed a refund of…

In a release issued yesterday, September 14, 2020, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced they had issued five withhold release orders (WRO) on products from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. These products are subject to the WROs because they are produced with state-sponsored forced labor. CBP’s release states that the Chinese government…

The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) granted 87 Section 301 List 4 exclusion extensions, leaving more than 100 to expire on September 1, 2020. The exclusion extensions granted will expire December 31, 2020. Goods not included in the exclusion extensions will be subject to the additional 7.5 percent tariff applicable to Section 301…

On August 31, 2020, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published a press release announcing measures to continue protecting the United States’ steel industry. The most recent protections focus on steel imports from Mexico and Brazil. To address recent surges in imports of certain steel products—standard pipe, mechanical tubing, and semi-finished products—Mexico has…

The Port of Houston is monitoring weather conditions resulting from Hurricane Laura, currently positioned in the Gulf. The Bayport and Barbours Cut container terminals will close this afternoon with all truck in-gates by 4:00 PM and all trucks serviced by 5:00 PM CT. All port terminals will remain closed through Wednesday and possibly Thursday, though…