Just last week I was reminded of an experience I had at a previous employer with an import shipment. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and many people were already on their holiday, while I received a frantic call from our freight forwarder & customs broker about an Emergency Action Notification (EAN) from U.S. Customs…
If you ever received a refund from CBP, you would typically receive a paper check mailed to you. But get ready, changes are coming and very soon. No longer will you see that check from the US Department of Treasury, refunds will be issued electronically. The interim final rule goes into effect on February 6,…
What Is the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA)? The Enforce and Protect Act of 2015 was enacted as part of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act (TFTEA) and became effective in August 2016, this law gives US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authority to investigate and stop evasion of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on imported goods. Its purpose is to protect US…
This year has been exceptionally challenging for importers. From the outset, new tariffs appeared to be implemented almost daily, with China-related tariff rates changing multiple times—sometimes within a single day. Keeping pace with these developments has proven difficult even for the most experienced trade professionals. Compounding the uncertainty were a series of legal challenges surrounding…
The U.S. Government has certainly had a busy summer, and the current administration was serious about its commitment to increased enforcement. Months ago, they stressed that enforcement was coming, and they have indeed followed through on that promise. See the below table for recent examples. Who? Penalty What Happened? Andritz, Inc. (Pennsylvania) $1.6 million Exported…
It has been a crazy and volatile year when it comes to import tariffs. From the tariffs threats to the implementation to the pauses on certain tariffs, you never know what you are going to wake up to from one day to the next. Last week was no different. On May 28, the US Court…
Ok, I know I told you all last post we were going to talk about exceptions and exemptions, and you were probably super excited to read my deep dive into how to take advantage of them, but I changed my mind. Yes, cue the cliché about “women changing their minds” but seriously, something else has…
Tariffs, a tax on imports, have historically been used to support domestic industries and are primarily imposed for two reasons: to protect domestic industries by raising the cost of imported goods, and/or to generate revenue for the government. However, they can often also result in reduced trade, higher prices, and retaliation. A tariff is a…
In the world of international shipping and e-commerce, the term “Section 321” has gained significance, especially among those importing goods into the United States. Under this provision of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, shipments valued at $800 or less can enter the country duty-free and without formal entry requirements. However, the…
Was your shipment one of the almost 4,300 to be detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for UFLPA enforcement since last June? If not, great! But don’t get too comfortable, either. UFLPA isn’t going anywhere, and perhaps rightfully so. This isn’t an enforcement deliberately meant to hurt U.S. importers. Instead, it boils down…