A fly on the wall at an executive retreat for Acme Super Duper Widget Company overhears the following conversation between Pete, the CFO, and Saira, the General Counsel.
The CTPAT portal has been a work in progress for a number of years with the latest portal update (3.0) launched at the end of 2023. Let’s take a few minutes to explore a few strategies for best outcomes while avoiding common challenges and the SCSS response request for “more information”.
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana. As an example of this I present to you the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930. If you are not familiar with this, it is worth taking a moment to research.
Recently, President Biden signed a foreign military support bill (H.R. 815) into law, which also encompassed the 21st Century Peace Through Strength Act (the Act), a legislative proposal introduced in the House containing various U.S. sanctions-related measures. These sanctions measures extended the statute of limitations (“SOL”) from five to ten years for civil and criminal violations of sanctions programs administered by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).
The new world order apparently has some merit as more than 30 nations have reportedly submitted applications to join the BRICS alliance wanting to reduce reliance on the US dollar. This wave of applications is a testament to the trust in the BRICS alliance as a viable option to a traditional economic structure. The BRICS alliance has broad shoulders and is representative of considerable economic growth.
On May 14, 2024, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released its Final Report relating to the four-year review of actions taken in the Section 301 investigation. Within the Report, the USTR confirmed that it intends to take actions to raise tariffs on specific products as a result of the comprehensive review.
Canada has long enjoyed International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) license exemptions and minimal controls for items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). What about some of our other friends, such as Australia and United Kingdom? There are ITAR license exemptions for these countries in Parts 126.16 and 126.17 of the ITAR.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) recently released a list of Section 301 exclusions that would be extended through May 31, 2025. Within the Notice, the USTR explained that extending these exclusions will support efforts to shift sourcing out of China, or provide additional time where, despite efforts to source products from alternative sources, availability of the product outside of China remains limited.
China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico has seen substantial growth in recent years, reflecting a strategic alignment with global economic shifts and regional trade dynamics. This trend positions China as one of the fastest-growing sources of foreign investment in Mexico, with the majority of investments flowing into the manufacturing sector.
Digital assets, including blockchain and cryptocurrency protocols and companies, have been in a defensive posture for much of 2022, 2023 and 2024. The collapse of crypto exchange FTX and numerous enforcement actions taken by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have forced the sector to retrench and upgrade their abilities to meet the higher standards of securities laws.
After the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s IEEPA tariffs as unconstitutional in February 2026, the Court tasked the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) with developing refund procedures for importers who paid IEEPA tariffs.
On June 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its report on Section 301 investigations into the practices of sixty trade partners’ economies with regard to forced labor prohibitions.
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.
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.
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 GENIUS Act has authorized several regulatory agencies to issue regulations to develop the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework governing payment stablecoins in the United States. The statute directs multiple federal financial regulators to implement a coordinated supervisory structure governing issuance, reserve management, redemption rights, anti-money laundering compliance, custody, and market structure.
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.
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 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’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.