Another busy month in international trade news, here's the full roundup:
Administration
- President Trump announced that he reached a 1-year agreement with China on rare earth supplies and will reduce fentanyl tariffs by half.
- President Donald Trump signed trade deals with Cambodia and Malaysia. A tariff rate of 19% will remain on Cambodian and Malaysian goods, with some carve-outs.
- President Trump delayed the 25% tariffs on medium and heavy-duty trucks to November 1, 2025.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- CBP published guidance on Section 232 tariffs on timber, lumber, and derivative products.
- CBP will be moving forward with using HAP International's TRACE ID program, following a successful technical assessment of the program's shipment-level traceability data it provides.
- CBP agriculture specialists at the Port of San Luis intercepted a pest identified as Osbornellus salsus; it was the first time this species has been identified in the United States.
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
- BIS posted 95 requests for the inclusion of new tariff subheadings under Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives. Comments on the inclusion requests closed on Oct. 21.
Court of International Trade (CIT)
- The CIT granted the government's motion for default judgment against importer E-Dong, U.S.A., for negligently failing to pay a federal excise tax on Korean distilled beverage soju. The judge ordered E-Dong to pay $234,748.30 in unpaid tax plus interest.
United States Trade Representative (USTR)
- USTR published a Federal Register Notice delaying new ship docking fees that were set to take effect from October 14 to December 10.
- USTR released a Section 301 report concluding that Nicaragua's leaders are repressing labor rights and human rights, and dismantling the rule of law. The report laid out several courses of action in response, including suspending CAFTA-DR benefits and imposing new tariffs.
Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC)
- OFAC announced new sanctions targeting Russia's two largest oil companies, citing Moscow's "lack of serious commitment" to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.
- OFAC, along with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, took the largest action ever against criminal networks responsible for targeting citizens of the United States and other allied nations through online scams and the laundering of stolen funds.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
- The FDA posted several new Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination:
- Processed human and animal foods for pesticides
- Raw agricultural products for pesticides
- Foods containing illegal and/or undeclared colors
- Mini-cup gel and jelly candies that present a risk of choking
- Reminder! Foreign and domestic medical device facilities must renew their registration with the FDA by December 31, 2025.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Citing national security concerns, the FCC voted to place prohibitions on the imports of previously authorized telecommunications equipment. The rule mainly covers insecure devices from Chinese manufacturers.
Congress
- The Senate passed a resolution to terminate the reciprocal tariffs emergency declared by President Trump under IEEPA. Passage of the resolution is largely a symbolic victory for Trump critics, as Speaker Mike Johnson is unlikely to take up the measure in the House.
- Twenty-one House Democrats sent a letter to President Trump urging him to end tariffs on India and repair the "strained" relationship with the country.
International News
- China announced it is now imposing port fees on U.S. ships in response to the USTR's Section 301 investigation of China's maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors. Effective Oct. 14, China will collect "special port fees" for ships built in the U.S., flying a U.S. flag, or owned or operated by U.S. entities.
Industry News
- The 12 U.S. states challenging President Trump's ability to impose IEEPA tariffs filed their reply brief at the Supreme Court, arguing that the statute doesn't allow for any tariffs to be imposed.
- UPS told NBC News that packages are piling up in UPS warehouses due to customs issues, and the company has begun "disposing of" some shipments.
- S&P Global released a new Market Intelligence Report revealing that new tariffs will cost businesses more than $1.2 trillion this year.
- The International Maritime Organization voted to postpone an effort to advance an international agreement on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from the shipping sector. The IMO will revisit in 12 months.
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