Deringer Trade Alerts

• Rail Congestion Continues in Toronto
  September 20, 2022
  Canada’s rail problems are not going away any time soon, and it’s significantly impacting the industry.  Deringer’s partners are currently reporting container congestion at the Toronto rail terminals.  Long lines at the yards are hindering delivery and pick-up times, and shippers may see additional charges for terminal waiting time, terminal ...
• Possible National Railroad Strike on the Horizon
  September 14, 2022
  Railroads and unions continue to negotiate their contract but remain at an impasse over quality of life issues regarding sick time and penalties for missing work.  As a result, the potential for a national rail strike or lockout could occur on September 16 at 12:01 AM, following a federally mandated ...
• West Coast Port Negotiations Still Underway
  September 9, 2022
  Labor contract negotiations for the West Coast Port Worker Union have been ongoing since May 10, 2022.  The parties continue to negotiate without a contract in place.  While there was some press in July about a tentative agreement on health/benefits, the parties have not made much progress on other issues. It ...
• Imported Seafood Pilot Program Begins Third Phase
  August 23, 2022
  On August 15, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched the third phase of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Imported Seafood Pilot program.  The pilot utilizes AI and machine learning (ML) to strengthen the screening process for foods that enter the U.S.  It focuses on seafood because more than ...
• Canada’s Rail Challenges Continue in Montreal and Toronto
  August 19, 2022
  As congestion increases at Montreal railyards, additional charges are becoming more common.  As volumes into the port increase, terminal yards are regularly full, and reservations to return empty containers are not always available.  The inability of terminals to accept empty equipment returns can lead to demurrage fees from the steamship ...
• Hardwood Plywood from Vietnam Found to be Sourced from China
  August 18, 2022
  Following an investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce, it was determined that certain hardwood plywood (HWPW) products and veneered panels currently imported from Vietnam actually contain Chinese core materials.  Therefore, these imports are subject to antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) and are subject to tariffs ranging as ...
• CN Rail Establishes Relief Container Yards to Relieve Backlog of Containers
  August 15, 2022
  Ongoing port congestion and import container dwell times in the ports of Vancouver and Prince Rupert have forced Canadian National Railway (CN) to establish multiple relief container yards in Toronto and Montreal to help clear the backlog and restore fluidity in the supply chain network.  CN started moving marine containers ...
• CBP Announces Adjusted COBRA Fees for Fiscal Year 2023
  August 4, 2022
  According to CSMS 52834229, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has announced an adjustment of certain COBRA Customs user fees and limitations for the Fiscal Year 2023, required as of October 1, 2022. A complete list of these fees and the methodology used in determining them can be found in the ...
• New USDA Database for Agricultural Commodities
  July 18, 2022
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) developed a new database that is a single source to search and display import requirements for animal, plant, and agriculturally related products.  The new database, called “Agricultural Commodity Import Requirements” (ACIR), will replace the Fruit and Vegetable ...
• Biden Appoints PEB to Investigate Rail Labor Dispute
  July 18, 2022
  On July 15, 2022, President Biden signed an Executive Order creating a Presidential Emergency Board (PEB) to help resolve the ongoing labor dispute between the nation’s largest rail carriers and the unions representing rail workers. According to the Executive Order, Biden wrote, “I have been notified by the National Mediation Board ...
• AMS and CBP Fixing Issue with HTS Filings of Potatoes
  July 6, 2022
  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued CSMS #52344962 on July 1, 2022, indicating that AMS and CBP were fixing an issue in the AMS logic in ACE that affects the HTS filings of potatoes for various Marketing Order (MO) message sets.  As a temporary fix, the severity for the ...
• DUNS Required for FSVP Entries & Enforcement Policy for Food Facility Registrations
  July 6, 2022
  According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), beginning July 24, 2022, the use of “UNK” (Unknown) will no longer be allowed in lieu of a DUNS number for food imports covered by the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP).  Use of the “UNK” was temporarily allowed when the FSVP requirements ...
• Biden Increases Tariffs on Certain Russian Imports
  July 5, 2022
  On June 27, 2022, President Joe Biden signed Presidential Proclamation 10420, increasing the column two rates of duty on certain articles originating from the Russian Federation.  All products listed in Appendix A of the proclamation will be subject to a duty rate of 35% effective July 27, 2022. The tariff increase ...
• Rail Congestion in Canada’s Supply Chain
  June 29, 2022
  Rail hubs and local warehouses in Toronto and Montreal are suffering congestion problems due to a shortage of drayage capacity for receiving cargo from Prince Rupert and Vancouver.  As a result, West Coast ports are feeling the pressure, with rail dwells at marine terminals elevated and the inland movement of ...
• PVC Recently Linked to Forced Labor and Environmental Abuse in the Uyghur Region
  June 22, 2022
  The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which bans any articles made wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), went into effect yesterday, June 21.  However, a recent report links environmental and labor abuses in the XUAR to polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as vinyl or PVC. China ...
• CN and IBEW Undergo Negotiations to Avoid Potential Strike
  June 16, 2022
  Canadian National Railway (CN) received a 72-hour strike notice from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) yesterday.  The union, representing approximately 750 employees in Canada, is prepared to strike beginning at 11 AM EST on Saturday.  CN and the union continue to negotiate, and CN also offered to resolve ...
• Importer Guidance Available for Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
  June 14, 2022
  In an effort to prepare importers for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) that goes into effect on June 21, 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released a guidance document.  The document is intended to provide transparency to CBP’s operational approach and complement the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force’s ...
• COVID-19 Exclusions from Section 301 Tariffs Extended
  June 2, 2022
  On May 27, 2022, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced another extension of the Section 301 exclusions for COVID-19 related medical care products imported from China.  The previous expiration of the exclusions was May 31, 2022, but now the exclusions will extend an additional six months and expire on ...
• Section 232 Duties for Imports of Steel Articles from Ukraine Temporarily Suspended
  June 1, 2022
  Following President Biden’s proclamation on May 27, 2022, a one-year suspension of Section 232 duties on imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles from Ukraine will be implemented.  Such products will not be subject to additional duties under HTSUS subheadings 9903.80.01 and 9903.80.03 from 12:00 AM on June 1, ...
• Pest Permit Required for Imported Earthworms
  June 1, 2022
  The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) will require importers of earthworms to obtain a PPQ 526 pest permit starting July 1, 2022.  The permits are required to import powdered, frozen, or freeze-dried earthworms, their castings, and related products into the U.S. from any country.  Imports of earthworms ...
• Aluminum Import Monitoring Requirements for Countries of Smelt Effective End of June
  June 1, 2022
  The U.S. Commerce Department (Commerce) issued a reminder about the new Aluminum Import Monitoring (AIM) System requirements in CSMS #52046238.  Effective June 29, 2022, when requesting an Aluminum License in the AIM portal, you will be required to enter the “country of largest smelt” and “country of second largest smelt.” ...
• Preparing for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Effective in June
  May 25, 2022
  On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed into law the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).  The Act prohibits U.S. imports of any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of the People’s Republic of China.  Such ...
• USDA Seeking Nominations for Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee
  May 4, 2022
  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) seeks nominations for the Fruit and Vegetable Industry Advisory Committee (FVIAC).  The advisory group will be represented by up to 25 qualified fruit and vegetable industry members who can provide recommendations and ideas to the Secretary of Agriculture on issues of importance to ...
• APHIS Veterinary Services New eFile Permitting System
  April 20, 2022
  Beginning May 31, 2022, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) will require submission via the APHIS eFile system for all new and renewal permit applications for live animals and animal products, organisms, and vectors. The APHIS eFile will replace ePermits.  This web-based system provides a modern ...
• Russia & Belarus Lose Normal Trade Relation Status with the U.S.
  April 13, 2022
  In response to the continuing conflict in Ukraine, President Biden signed legislation, “Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act” (the Act), into law on April 8, 2022.  The Act suspends normal trade relations (NTR) with the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. By suspending NTR, Russia and Belarus ...
• U.S. Trade Representative Reinstates Section 301 Exclusions
  April 4, 2022
  On March 28, 2022, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published the Federal Register (FR) notification that it would reinstate certain Section 301 exclusions retroactively to October 12, 2021.  In many cases, the reinstated exclusions are product specific and depend upon the HTSUS Classification of goods as entered and the product ...
• LA/LB Ports to Begin Collecting a Clean Truck Fund Rate on April 1
  March 31, 2022
  Effective Friday, April 1st, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will implement a Clean Truck Fund (CTF) collection of $10 per twenty-foot equivalent unit on loaded import and export cargo containers hauled by drayage trucks entering and leaving container terminals.  The CTF will be $20 for containers longer ...
• APM Terminals Announce Demurrage Policy Change
  March 30, 2022
  APM Terminals is set to implement a policy change related to Saturday demurrage fees for all inbound containers.  Starting April 9th, 2022, Saturdays will no longer be counted as exempt from demurrage.  Once containers are discharged into the terminal, Saturdays will be counted within the four free days of dwell ...
• Shanghai Implements Two-Stage Lockdown in Effort to Curb Virus Outbreaks
  March 30, 2022
  On Monday, Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown of its 26 million residents in a campaign against the Covid-19 virus and rising omicron cases.  The lockdown is being implemented in two phases to limit disruption, starting with the Pudong financial district and nearby areas on the east side of the Huangpu ...
• U.S. Announces New and Updated Russian Sanctions
  March 25, 2022
  The trade continues to closely watch the movement of legislation through the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, which would remove Most Favored Nation (MFN) trade status for both Russia and Belarus.  The legislation seeks to end normal trade relations with both nations and would result ...