Monday Morning eBriefing

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 30 provided guidance on the implementation of the April 2 Presidential Proclamation 11020, Adjusting Imports of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical Ingredients Into the United States. Effective Friday, 12:01 a.m. ET on July 31, all importers of goods classified under the subject HTSUS classifications (in Chapters 29 and 30 of the HTSUS) are required to report an applicable Chapter 99 HTSUS classification.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued updates to filing APHIS Core at Plant Inspection Stations to include Plants for Planting - Category Code 406 (Tissue Culture) and PG30 Record - Laboratory/Testing Status "I."

Starting Aug. 3, importers and customs brokers responding to Emergency Action Notifications (EANs) and Regulatory Action (RA) Notifications issued by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) will have a faster way to respond to APHIS: electronic signatures.

A summary of the latest legislative and regulatory transport, logistics and trade sector updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Transportation Counsel firm Venable.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Port of Huron reminded the trade of the regulatory requirements and advanced electronic manifest notification process for split shipments consolidated on a single entry under 19 CFR 141.57, specifically 19 CFR 141.57(b) and (c). Historically there has been confusion amongst the various Trade parties about how to properly input and link the electronic data for these types of shipments resulting in delays at the border.

On behalf of NCBFAA's Board of Directors, Leadership and Staff, we want to take a moment to acknowledge and welcome Exim Americas, which has recently joined our association. We're so excited to have this firm join our organization and we are happy to assist in any way we can!

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on July 29 announced it has uncovered more than $1 billion in additional duties owed under the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA), which authorizes the agency to investigate and stop duty evasion schemes like illegal transshipment, misclassification, and undervaluation. CBP issued 14 notices of determination in 2026 involving a variety of products such as solar cells, tow-behind lawn groomers, lumber, pipes, xanthan gum, metal lockers, and wooden furniture imported from countries across the globe.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) clarified its previous instructions related to the PGA Message Set requirements that were implemented July 8. The original CSMS Message caused some confusion when it seemed to imply that the PGA Message Set is optional.

A summary of the latest customs and cross-border trade regulatory updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Customs Counsel firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg.

NCBFAA President Karen Damon on July 27 sent a letter drafted by Customs Committee leadership on behalf of our customs broker membership to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) raising the association’s questions and points of considerations for the agency when implementing the White House Executive Order 14411 to strengthen customs enforcement. “The brokerage community understands CBP’s enhanced role in supply chain enforcement and offers these comments to support this initiative in a manner that deters illicit cargo while promoting lawful trade,” Damon wrote. “We view the customs broker as having a critical role in supporting the E.O.”

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Aug. 3 will implement a new e214 error code for Post Admission Corrections validation to ACE Production environment, including adding new error code 237 and deleting 16 error codes which are no longer used.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Homeland Security's July 2026 Resource Guide to Trade Fraud Enforcement provides a blueprint of the Administration's aggressive enforcement of trade fraud, meticulously summarizing the statutory framework, agency roles and investigative tools that underpin federal customs enforcement. The guide does not only cover the usual areas of customs fraud — duty evasion, misclassification, undervaluation, and transshipment. Customs brokers should also pay close attention to how much space the Guide devotes to Partner Government Agency (PGA) violations.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking public comment on possible revisions to the seafood import provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This is an initial information-gathering step. NMFS is not yet proposing specific regulatory changes.

It is with profound sadness that NCBFAA notifies our membership of the passing of John William James, former president of Savannah, Georgia-based John S. James Co., on July 18th at the age of 84.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will initiate a phased reopening of southern cattle ports, contingent on Mexico’s adherence to the Joint Action Plan. Starting Aug. 24, USDA will open the Douglas, Arizona port of entry to cattle trade, while simultaneously initiating the operational steps necessary for subsequent openings at the Santa Teresa and Columbus, New Mexico ports. Every animal entering the United States through these ports will undergo a full USDA inspection to ensure it is free of any signs of New World screwworm (NWS).

This Customs and Border Protection (CBP) guidance provides instructions for importers, customs brokers, and filers on submitting entries to CBP on imports subject to 10-12.5% Section 301 tariffs from 60 countries entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced July 23 that it will proceed with imposing Section 301 tariffs on products from 60 countries ranging from 10% to 12.5%, effective 12:01 a.m. ET on July 24. “Trading partners that have made commitments to adopt, and effectively enforce, forced labor import prohibitions will have a 10% tariff, and trading partners that have failed to adopt a forced labor import prohibition will have a 12.5% tariff rate,” USTR said in a statement.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has discontinued the APHIS Core Message Set Help Desk phone line. Stakeholder support will be provided exclusively through APHIS' help desk email at ace.itds@usda.gov. Since 2021, APHIS has provided a support desk phone line to assist stakeholders with navigating data reporting requirements.

To improve entry filing for medical device shipments, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) routinely provides customs brokers with medical device error reports, if the customs broker subscribes. Many customs brokers have found these reports to be an invaluable tool to sharpen their compliance.

A summary of the latest customs and cross-border trade regulatory updates brought to you by our NCBFAA Customs Counsel firm Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg.