Monday Morning eBriefing

The Committee for the Statistical Annotation of Tariff Schedules, better known as the 484(f) Committee, has finalized the list of changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), effective July 1, 2026. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), meanwhile, is implementing the 484(f) updates in ABI.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published a Federal Register notice on July 1 detailing the increase in the quarterly Internal Revenue Service (IRS) interest rates from the previous quarter which are used to calculate interest on overdue accounts (underpayments) and refunds (overpayments) of customs duties.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 30 announced that it has updated the Automated Export System Trade Interface Requirements (AESTIR) – Appendix U – HTS/Schedule B Classifications Requiring Used Vehicle Reporting. Documentation is available under the ACE AESTIR Appendix on the AES webpage.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 30 notified the trade that an updated version of the ACE CATAIR Error Dictionary V49 has been posted under the Supporting Documents: Documentation for Entry Summary Chapters section. This update creates a new Fatal validation to prevent a dutiable Auto Part HTS and a dutiable Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles (MHDV) HTS number from being on the same Entry Summary line, CBP said.

The Trump Administration on June 29 authorized an immediate suspension of duties on U.S. imports of phosphate-based fertilizer from Morocco for the next eight months. “Global supply chains for phosphate fertilizer and fertilizer inputs, including imports of such products into the United States, have been disrupted in recent months by, among other things, conflicts in fertilizer-producing regions as well as trade actions taken by major fertilizer-producing countries,” the White House said in its proclamation.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 29 provided updated guidance on the import adjustment offset applicable to Section 232 duties on automobile and medium and heavy-duty vehicle parts. Specifically, the agency said this guidance updates CSMS #6684128 relating to the import adjustment offset for Section 232 duties on automobile parts and provides new guidance on the offset for Section 232 duties on medium and heavy-duty vehicle parts.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on June 29 that it has completed the successful deployment for enhancements to the Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) application in the ACE Secure Data Portal. “Importers and authorized customs brokers can now include in their CAPE declarations, submitted in the ACE Portal, entries flagged for reconciliation (entry types 01, 02, 06) for which the reconciliation entry (entry type 09) has not been filed. Consistent with CAPE Phase 1, the entries flagged for reconciliation will be limited to unliquidated entries and entries that have been liquidated within 80 days of the CAPE declaration filing date,” CBP said in a message to the trade.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) on June 26 sent a reminder to the trade about import filing requirements in ACE for organic entries and new organic HTS codes. On July 1, the AMS tariff flag code for the following HTS codes will change from AM7 (may File) to AM8 (must file) – with reject severity, the agency said.

President Trump in a June 26 Truth Social post warned that any northern European countries that impose a digital service tax on U.S. companies will “immediately be met with a 100% TARIFF on any and all Goods sent to the United States of America.”

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed rule that would require foreign establishments that manufacture, prepare, compound, or process tobacco products for import into the U.S. to register their establishments and list their products with the agency. Customs brokers handling tobacco product entries may want to monitor the rulemaking and discuss with affected importer clients how the proposed requirements could affect supplier documentation, product identification, and FDA compliance expectations.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in a June 25 message to the trade said it has updated certain validations performed on entries included on Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) declarations filed in ACE. Specifically, CBP said entries that previously resulted in error messages should be resubmitted on a new CAPE Declaration.

In response to the “Strengthening Customs Enforcement” Executive Order, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a June 26 message to the trade that it is “exercising its legal authority” to deactivate Importer of Record (IOR) numbers in ACE that have not been used to file entry for one or more years and that have no outstanding post-entry transactions.

The U.S. and Uzbekistan on June 25 agreed to strengthen their bilateral economic and investment relationship and to accelerate talks towards a faster conclusion to an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade and Investment.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced on June 24 it will conduct a test of a new electronic informal entry type 13 for merchandise entering the U.S. through the international mail process. The test will begin Sept. 22 and continue until concluded by an announcement published in the Federal Register. CBP said comments will be accepted throughout the duration of the test.

It is with profound sadness that NCBFAA notifies our membership of the passing of longtime NCBFAA and Chicago Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association (CCBFA) member Martin Joseph "Marty" Zima of South Elgin, Illinois, on June 14. He was 62. Marty built a career in international trade and customs compliance spanning more than 30 years, culminating in his role as Vice President of Customs Compliance for Kintetsu World Express.

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

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

As anticipated, the 2026 NCBFAA Government Affairs Conference on September 27-29 has reached full capacity and registration is Now Closed! We appreciate the strong interest and continued support from our members and industry partners.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 25 signed a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement (CMAA) with Australia in Brussels, Belgium. The CMAA is a bilateral agreement that enables both countries to prevent, detect, and investigate customs-related crimes, support judicial proceedings, enhance cooperation, and facilitate legitimate trade and travel through more efficient enforcement actions.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on June 23 issued two Withhold Release Orders (WRO) against garments produced by Needle Craft Ltd. and Casual Wear Apparel LLC factories in Jordan.  Effective immediately, CBP said its personnel at all U.S. ports of entry will detain shipments of these garments due to evidence reasonably indicating the use of forced labor in their production.