New Executive Order Strengthening CBP Enforcement
President Trump signed the new Executive Order “Strengthening Customs Enforcement.” This new order from the administration tackles different administrative priorities related to customs: Customs Reform and Combatting Customs Fraud. The order-related fact sheet goes into detail about how the Executive Order addresses these objectives and how this will affect importers moving forward.
Customs Fraud, Whistleblowers, and $1.8 Billion in Liability: Lessons for Importers
The outcome of this customs fraud criminal investigation case highlights significant compliance risks for importers, particularly in the areas of classification, documentation, and internal controls.
Joint US-EU Action Plan & MOU for Critical Mineral Supply Chain
Global reliance on critical minerals for emerging technologies has created a competition between nations to secure reliable supply chains for continued innovation pertinent to national security. This is necessary from a national security perspective for both partners in this agreement.
The Taiwan Question – What are investors thinking after Trump’s Beijing summit?
United States President Donald Trump met with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at a summit in Beijing in mid-May. The two leaders spoke for about two hours behind closed doors, discussing the trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and energy cooperation. But it was a pointed comment from Xi about Taiwan that hinted at an unresolved issue that may make or break global relations.
What a “Mess”: IEEPA Refunds and the Emerging Wave of Consumer Litigation
When the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated certain tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, it did more than reshape trade policy. The decision triggered a complex series of questions regarding tariff refunds, consumer rights, and corporate liability – questions whose effects continue to be felt far beyond the trade community, reaching businesses and households across the US.
Walmart’s Diversification of Sourcing From China – A Relationship Decades in the Making, So Breaking Up is Really Hard to Do
Walmart has been in China for about 30 years, entering the market in 1996 when it opened its first Walmart hypermarket and Sam’s Club in Shenzhen. There are now 342 retail stores, 279 Walmart Supercenters, and 63 Sam’s Clubs in China.
Mexico Extends Deadline for Electronic Value Manifest (EVM)
Mexico’s tax authority (Servicio de Administración Tributaria – SAT) has postponed the mandatory implementation of the Electronic Value Manifest (Manifestación de Valor Electrónica – EVM). The requirement is now expected to become mandatory on June 1, 2026.
Section 232 and Iron: What CBP’s New Guidance Means for Your Imports – The Difference Between Steel and Iron Has Never Mattered More
We are operating in one of the most volatile trade environments in recent memory. Tariff policy is shifting faster than most compliance programs can absorb. In that context, CBP’s March 15 guidance on Section 232 content value is not just a technical update. It brings meaningful clarity and importers who move quickly may find real money on the table.
Section 301 Tariffs: A New Phase in U.S. Trade Policy
The resurgence of Section 301 tariff investigations marks a pivotal shift in U.S. trade policy. Following the Supreme Court’s invalidation of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has turned to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 as a more durable legal pathway to reimpose and potentially expand tariff measures.
Supreme Court Clarifies Separation of Powers in IEEPA Tariffs Decision
In the final analysis, this case stands as one of the most important separation of powers decisions in the economic domain in U.S. history. It clarifies that tariffs are a form of taxation reserved to Congress, embeds the major questions doctrine in trade law, and reasserts the structural boundary between legislative and executive authority.