A recent ruling analyzed whether certain functions performed in preparation for filing an entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) arise to the level of “Customs Business” that must be performed by a licensed broker. Ruling HQ H326926, issued to Heizwerthy Customs & Freight Solutions (“Heizwerthy”), states that allowing an unlicensed company to extract
Jasmine Martel
By understanding the complexities of import/export regulations, Jasmine helps her clients accomplish their international trade goals and build their businesses.
Customs Modernization Bill Addresses Trade Reform
On December 8, 2023, Senators Bill Cassidy and Sheldon Whitehouse introduced a new version of the Customs Modernization bill to amend the Tariff Act of 1930. The new proposal comes over two years after Senator Cassidy initially proposed draft legislation, which we explained in a prior post. The most recent proposed bill aims to…
Preparing for Impact of Government Shutdown on International Trade Functions
As of Friday September 29, 2023, the United States Congress has yet to reach a spending agreement, as a result companies with international trade operations should prepare for a potential Federal government shutdown. The shutdown, which is expected to take place beginning as of 12:01 am October 1, 2023, will cause significant changes to international…
DHS Adds More Companies to the UFLPA Entity List
On June 9, 2023, the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF), led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), added two companies based in the People Republic of China (PRC) to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List. The additions included Xinjiang Zhongtai Chemical Co., Ltd., Ninestar Corporation, and eight of its Zhuhai-based…
CBP Unveils New Interactive Dashboard at UFLPA Technical Expo
This week, at the highly anticipated forced labor expo, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) unveiled its new Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Statistics Dashboard aimed at providing transparency for UFLPA enforcement. The interactive dashboard was expected to be released on March 31st, but was unveiled ahead of time on CBP’s website at…
UFLPA Region Alert and Postal Code Requirements Set to Deploy March 18, 2023
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expected to deploy the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) regional alert and postal code requirement this Friday, March 18, 2023.
According to CBP, the goal of the new measures is to provide an early notification to importers and their representatives that goods may have been produced in…
Biden Administration Increases Tariffs on Russian Aluminum and 100 Other Products on One-Year Anniversary of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine
On February 24, 2023, the Biden Administration announced the imposition of additional tariffs on Russian imports of aluminum and approximately 100 other individual products. The imposition of these additional tariffs was announced on the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The White House announced its continued support of Ukraine in a series of actions…
CBP Releases New Resources for UFLPA Enforcement & Applicability Reviews
On February 23, 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) released new guidance for importers seeking admissibility of goods under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”). The three guidance documents include an updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), best practices for applicability reviews, and tips on submitting executive summaries and documentation when under an applicability…
Possible Forced Labor Enforcement Remedies on Aluminum Products
Recent reports indicate that aluminum is now being targeted for actions against forced labor under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”). Though U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) has yet to officially announce aluminum as a targeted product under UFLPA, reports indicate that enforcement efforts against aluminum began as early as December 2022 –…
CBP Releases Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Guidance for Importers
On June 13th, Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) released its Operational Guidance For Importers to prepare companies for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”). UFLPA enforcement is set to take effect June 21st and will apply a rebuttable presumption standard to imports tied in whole or in part to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region or entities identified by the U.S. government on the soon to be published UFLPA Entity List.