Marketing

Introduction The United States continues to tighten its customs procedures for low-value imports, bringing significant changes to cross-border e-commerce, international parcel delivery, and import compliance. One of the most important developments is the suspension of the U.S. de minimis duty exemption, which previously allowed qualifying shipments valued at $800 or less to enter the country…

Updated October 18, 2026. This article has been revised to distinguish legal requirements, implementation dates and shipment-specific checks. The United States and China have published product recommendations under the 30-for-30 framework. Publication of the lists does not, by itself, establish a lower duty rate for a shipment. Importers should verify the implementing measure, exact product…

On September 2, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) titled “Heightened Import Disclosures for Supply Chain Visibility.” The initiative explores whether U.S. importers may eventually be required to provide and retain more detailed information about the foreign suppliers, manufacturers, exporters and other parties involved in an…

The U.S.-China trade relationship is once again facing potential changes. According to recent reports, the Trump administration is considering an additional 7.5% tariff on Chinese goods, citing concerns over China’s industrial overcapacity and the impact of low-priced exports on U.S. manufacturers. The proposal has not yet been formally implemented, and the final scope, effective date,…

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is moving toward a more rigorous approach to verifying the identity and information of Importers of Record (IORs). On August 19, 2026, CBP published a notice in the Federal Register announcing enhanced enforcement procedures for verifying the accuracy of information submitted through CBP Form 5106, the Create/Update Importer…

For U.S. importers, the tariff landscape in 2026 has changed dramatically. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February 2026 that the Trump administration exceeded its authority when it used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs, attention quickly shifted from tariff collection to something equally important for businesses: refunds. Billions…

Updated October 18, 2026. This article has been revised to distinguish legal requirements, implementation dates and shipment-specific checks. CPSC’s electronic filing (eFiling) requirements took effect on July 8, 2026 for most covered imports. The final rule on certificates of compliance distinguishes these imports from covered products imported into a foreign-trade zone (FTZ) and subsequently entered…

The U.S. customs compliance environment continues to tighten. On June 10, 2026, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published an official notice in the Federal Register announcing that more than 800 customs broker licenses across 39 U.S. ports have been revoked by operation of law after the affected brokers failed to submit the required…

The U.S. import compliance environment is becoming significantly stricter in 2026. While the logistics industry was still dealing with the impact of the earlier “5H inspections,” a new customs enforcement trend is rapidly emerging: the 9H Hold. At the same time, multiple surety companies have begun tightening Customs Bond approvals, with some existing Bonds reportedly…

The United States is entering a new phase of trade enforcement as the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) advances a sweeping set of Section 301 investigations covering approximately 60 major trading partners. Public hearings held on April 28–29 at the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) mark the transition from procedural review to…