On March 19, 2026, Brandon Lord, the Executive Director of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, filed a status update with the U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) outlining CBP’s progress in developing a new Automated Commercial Environment (“ACE”) functionality intended to support refunds of tariffs that were imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”).
On March 18, 2026, the Trump Administration announced a 60-day waiver of the Jones Act, which requires that cargo transported between U.S. ports be carried on vessels that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, and U.S.-crewed. Pursuant to Cargo Systems Messaging Service (“CSMS”) Message No. 68096516, the waiver took effect March 18, 2026, and is currently scheduled
On March 12, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) filed a declaration with the Court of International Trade providing an update on the portal to be used for CBP to issue International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) tariff refunds. According to the declaration, there will be a claim portal for users to interface with
ITC Finds Strawberry Imports from Mexico Harming US
On March 12, 2026, the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) determined that imports of fresh winter strawberries from Mexico, under Harmonized Tariff Schedule 0810.10.40, are injuring the U.S. domestic industry. The ITC will issue a further update announcing the final phase of the investigation via a scheduling notice
On March 12, 2026, United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) Greer announced a new investigation under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 relating to the “failure to impose and effectively enforce a ban on the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.” According to
On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) Greer announced a new investigation under Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974 relating to “structural excess capacity and production in certain manufacturing sectors.” According to the Federal Register Notice, “[k]ey trading partners have developed production capacity untethered from the incentives of domestic
On March 9, 2026, Senator Bill Cassidy and Congressman Jodey Arrington introduced a bicameral bill known at the Securing Accountability in Foreign Entries Act (“SAFE Act”). The SAFE Act would amend the Tariff Act of 1930 to require importers of record to maintain a meaningful U.S. nexus thereby curtailing long-standing U.S. customs practices relied
On Friday, March 5, 2026, twenty-four (24) states filed a complaint in the Court of International Trade (“CIT”) against the Trump Administration challenging the legality of the Section 122 duties imposed on February 20th after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not permit the president to impose tariffs. For additional information about the Supreme Court’s decision and the Section 122 duties, see our prior blog posts here and here.
On March 5, 2026, Mexichem Fluor Inc. dba Orbia Fluor & Energy Materials (“Petitioner”), filed a petition for the imposition of Antidumping Duties and Countervailing Duties on Imports of Lithium Hexafluorophosphate from the People’s Republic of China.
On March 4, 2026, following the February 20, 2026 decision by the Supreme Court invalidating IEEPA tariffs, the Court of International Trade ordered CBP to (a) liquidate “without regard to IEEPA duties” all unliquidated entries that were subject to IEEPA tariffs, and (b) reliquidate “without regard to IEEPA duties” any entries for which liquidation is not yet final.