Deringer Trade Alerts

• 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 ...
• CP and TCRC Reach Agreement and End Work Stoppage
  March 22, 2022
  Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) and the Teamsters union have agreed to final and binding arbitration to end the work stoppage that began on Sunday.  Workers returned to the job at noon local time on March 22, 2022.  CP will immediately work with customers to resume train operations and restore normal ...
• Canadian Pacific Railway Shuts Down and Union Workers Strike
  March 21, 2022
  Trains across Canada came to a halt early on Sunday as Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) shut down operations and locked-out workers, and the union subsequently went on strike with picketing underway at various CP locations.  The strike involves roughly 3,000 employees, represented by Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC). CP Rail workers ...
• Shenzhen Locked Down After Spike in Covid Cases
  March 14, 2022
  China has locked down Shenzhen, a city of 17.5 million people, in an attempt to control its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic began in 2020.  As China seeks to maintain its zero-Covid strategy, all of Shenzhen’s residents must undergo three rounds of city-wide mass testing, and public transportation has ...
• U.S. Bans Russian Imports and Downgrades Russia’s Trade Status
  March 14, 2022
  On March 11, President Biden issued an executive order banning imports of Russian seafood, spirits, and non-industrial diamonds due to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.  This ban follows earlier sanctions imposed on Russian oil, gas, and coal that cut off about 60% of U.S. imports from Russia. The ban was effective immediately ...
• Trucking Industry Struggling as Oil Prices Continue to Soar
  March 11, 2022
  With today’s current market conditions, the shipping industry is not only suffering from equipment and driver shortages, severe congestion, and capacity issues, but oil prices are now soaring, causing more chaos and disruption at this unprecedented time. Russia is one of the biggest oil and gas producers in the world, and ...
• Union Members at CP Rail Vote to Authorize Strike
  March 7, 2022
  Union members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) have voted in favor of a strike mandate beginning March 16, 2022, if a collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached.  The possible work stoppage will affect approximately 3,000 Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) locomotive engineers, conductors, trainpersons, and yardpersons.  According to the ...
• Carriers Impose Temporary Suspension of Bookings To and From Russia
  March 4, 2022
  Several of the largest container shipping companies are temporarily halting all cargo bookings to and from Russia due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, including Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, ONE, and Hapag-Lloyd. According to a statement made by Maersk, “As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly ...
• Blockades at Canadian Border Crossings Causing Delays
  February 2, 2022
  The Coutts border crossing is the only 24/7 commercial crossing between Alberta and Montana, and it is one of Canada’s busiest crossings into the U.S.  Service at the border has been halted since Saturday as trucks and cars have formed a blockage in both directions on Highway 4, just north ...
• Phase 1 of ACE Portal Modernization in Effect
  January 28, 2022
  According to CSMS #50752966, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) deployed Phase 1 of the ACE Secure Data Portal (ACE Portal) modernization on January 22, 2022.  The updated platform is expected to provide easier use and better performance.  It includes a new login screen and homepage, as well as upgraded ...
• Mandatory Electronic Filing of USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Marketing Orders
  January 25, 2022
  According to CSMS #50708860, filing PGA USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Marketing Orders (MO) becomes mandatory on February 28, 2022.  Importers of the following products will be required to provide their product and load data into CBP’s Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) system electronically to enter goods into the U.S.: Avocados Grapefruit Kiwifruit Onions Potatoes Table grapes Field-grown ...
• HTS Classification Changes Become Effective January 27, 2022, and May Affect Your USMCA Certificate
  January 19, 2022
  As advised in a previous Trade Alert, the World Customs Organization (WCO) publishes changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) at the international level every five years.  The changes go into effect 30 days after a Presidential Proclamation and publication in the Federal Register. On December 23, 2021, the White House ...
• Bill Signed into Law Banning Goods Made with Forced Labor in Xinjiang
  January 5, 2022
  On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law.  The Act will go into effect on June 21, 2022. 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 ...
• Harmonized System Update on EU Steel and Aluminum Products
  December 29, 2021
  According to Customs and Border Protection’s CSMS #50533999, a Harmonized System Update (HSU) 2119 was created on December 28, 2021, for 284 ABI records and 71 Harmonized Tariff Records. Beginning January 1, 2022, Section 232 tariffs will not apply to EU steel products entering the U.S. with a tariff-rate quota.  Additional ...
• APHIS No Longer Accepting Unoriginal Electronic Phytosanitary Certificates and Forms After 2021
  December 15, 2021
  Effective January 1, 2022, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will no longer accept unoriginal/copied phytosanitary certificates and forms for plant commodities.  Only original certificates and forms will be accepted.  The digital exchange of electronic phytosanitary certificates through the ePhyto system ...
• Trade Waiting for Release of 2022 HTSUS Changes
  December 8, 2021
  Importers and exporters are not strangers to the HTSUS updates issued by the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) throughout the calendar year, with larger revisions generally issued in July and January.  However, every five years, the World Customs Organization (WCO) publishes changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) at ...
• Transportation Disruption Continues in British Columbia
  December 3, 2021
  The Port of Vancouver is still suffering from congestion and operational disruptions since severe weather and flooding crippled rail and road access to the area two weeks ago.  British Columbia continues to experience heavy rainfall, and a state of emergency has been extended until December 14, 2021. The recent events have ...
• Softwood Lumber AD/CVD Rates Published by the Department of Commerce
  December 2, 2021
  The Department of Commerce (DOC) published in the Federal Register on December 2, 2021, its final determination for the administrative review of AD/CVD cases A-122-857 and C-122-858 for the period of January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019.  The DOC will issue instructions to CBP within 41 days to liquidate ...
• CBP Issues Guidance for Canadian Truck Carriers Affected by Weather Disruptions in B.C.
  November 19, 2021
  Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued guidance to alleviate the supply chain disruptions that extreme weather conditions have caused in British Columbia, Canada.  According to CBP’s CSMS #50138288, here are the rules and requirements of Canadian truck carriers needing to transit through the U.S. to reach destinations in Canada: General ...
• Critical Railway Service Disrupted by Severe Weather in British Columbia
  November 17, 2021
  Over the past weekend, torrential rainstorms, rockslides, and mudslides in Vancouver and parts of the interior of British Columbia have disrupted rail access to and from the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest port.  Rail routes operated by Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railway, the two biggest rail companies in Canada, ...
• Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Temporarily Adjust TMF
  November 15, 2021
  According to the West Coast MTO Agreement, the Traffic Mitigation Fee (TMF) at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will temporarily increase from December 1, 2021, through January 31, 2022, subject to regulatory clearance by the Federal Maritime Commission.  During this time, the TMF will be charged during ...
• Ocean Alliance Cancels Asia Service into Boston
  November 11, 2021
  Ocean Alliance has canceled its only Asia-U.S. East Coast service into the Port of Boston until January 26, 2022, due to congestion and severe delays at the Port of Savannah.  During this time, shippers on the East Coast will need to rely more on the Port of New York and ...
• U.S.-Canada Border Reopening for Non-Essential Travelers
  November 2, 2021
  Beginning November 8, 2021, non-citizen travelers who are fully vaccinated and can provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination will be permitted to enter the U.S. through land ports of entry and ferry terminals for non-essential reasons.  Travelers will not be required to produce a negative COVID test. At this initial reopening, ...